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Open AccessArticle
An Exploratory Analysis of the Association between Healthcare Associated Infections & Hospital Financial Performance
by
Brad Beauvais
Brad Beauvais 1,*
,
Diane Dolezel
Diane Dolezel 2,
Ramalingam Shanmugam
Ramalingam Shanmugam 1
,
Dan Wood
Dan Wood
Dan Wood has been the Program Director at the MHA/MBA Army Baylor Graduate Program, Baylor since He [...]
Dan Wood has been the Program Director at the MHA/MBA Army Baylor Graduate Program, Baylor University since 2022. He received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Creighton University in 2001 and his Master of Health Administration from Baylor University in 2009. He earned his EdD in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University in 2023. He has served in the Army Nurse Corps since 2001 in various clinical, management, and administrative roles. He also served as the Chief Clinical Instructor for the program since 2018. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a Board-Certified Nurse Executive, and a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality. His dissertation research for his EdD Program is centered on value-based purchasing and its effects on hospital-acquired infections. His main research interests include healthcare quality, population health, and hospital payment structure.
3
and
Rohit Pradhan
Rohit Pradhan 1
1
School of Health Administration, Texas State University, Encino Hall, Room 250A, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
2
Health Informatics & Information Management Department, Texas State University, Round Rock, TX 78665, USA
3
Baylor University, Army-Baylor University MHA/MBA Program, U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, San Antonio, TX, 78234, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Healthcare 2024, 12(13), 1314; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12131314 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 31 May 2024
/
Revised: 19 June 2024
/
Accepted: 29 June 2024
/
Published: 30 June 2024
Abstract
Purpose: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) place a significant financial burden on United States hospitals. HAI treatments extend hospital lengths of stay and increase hospital operational costs while significantly reducing hospital profit margins. Given these challenges, the research aim of this study was to explore the association between HAIs and hospital financial performance. A better understanding of this relationship can assist hospital leaders in optimizing the use of scarce financial resources to reduce HAI prevalence. Methods: Data for calendar year 2022 for active short-term acute care hospitals (n = 1454) in the US were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis. We explored two derived dependent variables, operating expense per staffed bed and operating expense per discharge. The independent variables included four healthcare-associated infection rates: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection rate, Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection rate, Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) rate, and Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI). Appropriate organizational and market-level variables that may independently influence hospital financial performance were included as control variables. Results: The results revealed that C. diff (β: 0.037, p < 0.05) and CAUTI (β: 0.031, p < 0.05) rates were positively associated with an increase in operating expense per staffed bed, while increases in MRSA (β: 0.042, p < 0.001), C. diff (β: 0.062, p < 0.001), and CAUTI rates (β: 0.039, p < 0.001) were correlated with increased operating expenses per discharge. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that specific HAIs may be associated with increased hospital expenses. Proactively targeting these infections through tailored interventions may lead to reduced hospital costs, improved financial performance, and economic stability.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Beauvais, B.; Dolezel, D.; Shanmugam, R.; Wood, D.; Pradhan, R.
An Exploratory Analysis of the Association between Healthcare Associated Infections & Hospital Financial Performance. Healthcare 2024, 12, 1314.
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12131314
AMA Style
Beauvais B, Dolezel D, Shanmugam R, Wood D, Pradhan R.
An Exploratory Analysis of the Association between Healthcare Associated Infections & Hospital Financial Performance. Healthcare. 2024; 12(13):1314.
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12131314
Chicago/Turabian Style
Beauvais, Brad, Diane Dolezel, Ramalingam Shanmugam, Dan Wood, and Rohit Pradhan.
2024. "An Exploratory Analysis of the Association between Healthcare Associated Infections & Hospital Financial Performance" Healthcare 12, no. 13: 1314.
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12131314
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