§ 20-9-1205 - Reports regarding healthcare-associated infections. - Arkansas Statutes

20-9-1205. Reports regarding healthcare-associated infections.

(a) (1) (A) In consultation with the Advisory Committee on Healthcare Acquired Infections, the Department of Health shall submit annually a report summarizing the health facility quarterly reports required under this subchapter to the Chair of the House Interim Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor and the Chair of the Senate Interim Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor.

(B) No health facility-identifiable data shall be included in the annual report, but aggregate statistical data may be included.

(2) The department shall publish the annual report on the department's website.

(3) The first annual report shall be submitted and published on or before January 1, 2010.

(b) The annual report prepared by the department under this subchapter regarding healthcare-associated infections shall be appropriately risk-adjusted.

(c) The annual report shall include an executive summary written in plain language that shall include without limitation:

(1) A discussion of findings, conclusions, and trends concerning the overall status of healthcare-associated infections in the state, including a comparison to previous years; and

(2) Policy recommendations of the department and the advisory committee.

(d) The annual report shall be made available to any person upon request.

(e) No health facility report or department disclosure shall contain information identifying a patient, employee, or healthcare professional in connection with a specific infection incident.

(f) No annual report or other department disclosure shall contain information that identifies or could be used to identify a specific health facility.

(g) (1) As part of the process of preparing the annual report, effective safeguards to protect against the dissemination of inconsistent, incomplete, invalid, inaccurate, or subjective health facility data shall be developed and implemented.

(2) These safeguards may include the exclusion of certain data or data from health facilities with a low volume of patients or procedures if the use of the data would skew the results reported.

(h) The department shall develop, with the assistance of the advisory committee, a process of regular and confidential feedback for health facilities regarding the data collected so that each health facility's data will be available to that health facility for its quality improvement efforts.