Analytics Reduce Post-Surgery Infections 58%

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

Using predictive analytics, The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has reduced surgical infections by 58 percent.

Using predictive analytics, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics have been able to effectively predict which patients will suffer from post-surgical infections and use that data to prevent them. Fierce Health IT reports the analytics tools, which were developed two years ago, have helped the organization to reduce infections after colon surgery by 58 percent since 2012.

The software was built by first using a model of the environment based on surgical procedures, outcomes, and surgical site infection risks. Information from over 1,600 patients was loaded into the model. Now, surgeons can access that information and compare it to patients undergoing operations in real time. Nurses can enter a patient’s information to determine their risk of developing a surgical site infection.

“Our goal has been to get that risk [of developing infection] before the patient leaves the operating room, mainly because there are some therapies out there that don’t make sense to apply to every patient,” said Dr. John Cromwell, associate chief medical officer and director of surgical quality and safety at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

For instance, the Wall Street Journal explains, in colon surgery, a risk of surgical site infection varies between 5 percent and 20 percent. Using invasive therapies or very expensive therapies on every patient doesn’t always make sense but zeroing in on a very high risk patient “gives us that opportunity to appropriately use those resources,” Cromwell said.

“UI Hospitals and Clinics will remain focused on infection prevention through working every day to continue making such improvements. We believe that our enduring commitment and dedication to the well-being of our patients will be reflected in the data and, more importantly, in the high quality of care each patient receives,” Theresa Brennan, M.D., chief medical officer at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics told the Des Moines Register. “We never stop asking how we can improve. You can rely on us to be at the forefront of patient safety.”