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TO AMEND SECTIONS 44-7-2430 AND 44-7-2440, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE "HOSPITAL INFECTIONS DISCLOSURE ACT" AND TO THE REQUIREMENT THAT HOSPITALS COLLECT DATA AND SUBMIT REPORTS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL ON HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTION RATES, SO AS TO ALSO REQUIRE HOSPITALS TO COLLECT DATA AND SUBMIT REPORTS ON DEATHS RESULTING FROM HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTIONS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Sections 44-7-2430 and 44-7-2440 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 293 of 2006, are amended to read:
"Section 44-7-2430. (A)(1) Individual hospitals shall collect data on hospital acquired infection rates and deaths resulting from hospital acquired infections for the specific clinical procedures as recommended by the advisory committee and defined by the department, including the following categories:
(a) surgical site infections;
(b) ventilator associated pneumonia;
(c) central line related bloodstream infections; and
(d) other categories as provided under subsection (D).
(2) Hospitals also shall report completeness of certain selected infection control processes, as recommended by the advisory committee and defined by the department, according to accepted standard definitions.
(B)(1) Hospitals shall submit reports at least every six months on their hospital acquired infection rates and deaths resulting from hospital acquired infections to the department. Reports must be submitted in a format and at a time as provided for by the department. Data in these reports must cover a period ending not earlier than one month prior to submission of the report. These reports must be made available to the public at each hospital and through the department. The first report must be submitted before February 1, 2008.
(2) If the hospital is a division or subsidiary of another entity that owns or operates other hospitals, or related facilities, the report must be for the specific division or subsidiary and not for the other entity.
(C)(1) The commissioner of the department shall appoint an advisory committee that must have an equal number of members representing all involved parties. The department shall seek recommendations for appointments to the advisory committee from organizations that represent the interests of hospitals, consumers, businesses, purchasers of health care services, physicians, and other professionals involved in the research and control of infections.
(2) The advisory committee shall assist the department in the development of all aspects of the department's methodology for collecting, analyzing, and disclosing the information collected under this article, including collection methods, formatting, and methods and means for release and dissemination of this information.
(3) In developing the methodology for collecting and analyzing the infection rate data and deaths resulting from hospital acquired infections, the department and advisory committee shall consider existing methodologies and systems for data collection, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network; however, the department's discretion to adopt a methodology is not limited or restricted to any existing methodology or system. The data collection and analysis methodology must be disclosed to the public prior to any public disclosure of hospital acquired infection rates.
(4) The department and the advisory committee shall evaluate on a regular basis the quality and accuracy of hospital information reported under this article and the data collection, analysis, and dissemination methodologies.
(D) The department may, after consultation with the advisory committee, require hospitals to collect data on hospital acquired infection rates in categories additional to those set forth in subsection (A).
Section 44-7-2440. (A) The department shall annually submit to the General Assembly a report summarizing the hospital reports submitted pursuant to Section 44-7-2430 and shall publish the annual report on its website. The first annual report must be submitted and published before February 1, 2009. The department may issue quarterly informational bulletins at its discretion, summarizing all or part of the information submitted in the hospital reports.
(B) All reports issued by the department must be risk adjusted.
(C) The annual report must compare the risk adjusted hospital acquired infection rates, collected under Section 44-7-2430, for each individual hospital in the State. The department, in consultation with the advisory committee, shall make this comparison as easy to comprehend as possible. The report also must include an executive summary, written in plain language, that must include, but is not limited to, a discussion of findings, conclusions, and trends concerning the overall state of hospital acquired infections and deaths resulting from hospital acquired infections in the State, including a comparison to prior years. The report may include policy recommendations, as appropriate.
(D) The department shall publicize the report and its availability as widely as practical to interested parties including, but not limited to, hospitals, health care providers, media organizations, health insurers, health maintenance organizations, purchasers of health insurance, consumer or patient advocacy groups, and individual consumers. The annual report must be made available to any person upon request and the department may charge a fee for such copies, not to exceed the actual cost of the copy of the report.
(E) No hospital report or department disclosure may contain information identifying a patient, employee, or licensed health care professional in connection with a specific infection incident or hospital acquired infection death ."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on Monday, June 22, 2009 at 2:38 P.M.