News: Hospital acquired conditions fall 8%, saving $2.9 billion in healthcare spending

Hospital-acquired conditions (HAC) declined by 8% between 2014 and 2016, preventing an estimated 8,000 deaths and $2.9 billion in healthcare costs, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report. CMS aims to reduce HACs by 20% from 2014 and 2019.

“CMS is committed to moving the healthcare system to one that improves quality and fosters innovation while reducing administrative burden and lowering costs,” wrote CMS Administrator Seema Verma in the CMS release.

According to the report, HACs decreased by an estimated 350,000 over the time period studied, including a 15% decline in infections and adverse drug events, largely through the work of 16 Hospital Improvement Innovation Networks AHA News reported.

The report “showing a decline in hospital-acquired conditions is due to the continued work and dedication of our members across the country in making care safer,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack.

This isn’t the first time the AHRQ has seen a drop in HACs, however. From 2010 to 2014, there was a 17% drop, saving $19.9 billion and preventing 87,000 deaths, according to CMS. AHRQ’s preliminary data for 2017 will be released within the next year and will help to determine if the reductions have continued.

Editor’s note: To read the report from AHRQ, click here. To read the AHA coverage of this story, click here. To read the CMS news release, click here. To view a presentation on CDI reviews of HACs from the 2018 ACDIS conference, click here. To read the ACDIS white paper regarding quality reviews, click here.