Tiara’s story is a perfect example of the changing face of C. diff as it continues to morph from a healthcare associated infection primarily found in elderly Americans with compromised immune systems to a disease that can seemingly afflict anyone at anytime. We are grateful to Tiara for sharing her story with us and helping us to dispel that myths around C. diff.
We have learned over the years that legislation has limitations … Health care consumers will never get all that we want or all that we deserve. There is absolutely no road map for the consumer patient safety movement and only meager funding for advocates. When funding is awarded for patient safety improvements in the clinical setting, there is seldom a requirement for consumer representation on medical facility commissions, panels, and workgroups studying patient safety innovation and quality improvement. Most funded endeavors exclude patient voices altogether.
While the statistics around rising Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections throughout the United States are grim, in this post I want to highlight three organizations that are making great strides in reducing infection rates. More than anything these three organizations prove that the status quo is not only unacceptable; it’s also unnecessary. With the proper investments in environmental services, staff training, patient education and tracking, we can make significant and tangible progress in lowering the rates of C. diff colonization, infections and deaths.
A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that, contrary to the common wisdom, most people acquire C. diff, not in the hospital but in medical settings such as nursing homes, doctors’ offices, and outpatient centers. However, as WebMD stated shortly after the report came out, here are 5 ways you can be proactive in protecting yourself.
