What are the advantages and disadvantages of hospital-wide surveillance for HAIs according to the chapter?

Hospital-wide surveillance allows for determining an overall HAI rate but is labor-intensive and may not accurately reflect the importance of specific HAIs. It lacks risk stratification and can underestimate true HAI rates. However, it can be useful in facilities without historical data or in small hospitals where specific data analysis is challenging.

Hospital-wide surveillance of HAIs provides a comprehensive view of infection rates across an entire facility, allowing for the calculation of an overall HAI rate. However, this method is generally discouraged due to its labor-intensive nature and the potential for misleading results. It does not allow for risk stratification or adjustment, meaning it cannot differentiate between the relative importance of different HAIs or account for varying patient risk factors. Additionally, it may underestimate true HAI rates by counting patients with multiple infections only once. Despite these drawbacks, hospital-wide surveillance can be beneficial in certain situations, such as when a facility lacks historical data or is too small to conduct meaningful analysis of specific procedures. In these cases, it can help identify areas where focused surveillance might be more effective.