CMS Reverses Plan to Cut Reporting of HAIs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has decided not to carry out a proposal to remove public reporting of hospital-acquired infections (HAI), medical errors, and injuries. Instead, CMS will publish the information on the Hospital Compare site and in a database.

After the plan was announced in June, there were complaints from patient safety advocates. A new rule, published last week, restores reporting of data through the Inpatient Quality Reporting Program, including infection rates of Clostridium difficile, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and post-surgery sepsis.

The Trump administration had initially agreed to remove the reporting measures at the request of the American Hospital Association, which argued that they unfairly penalize hospitals for safety problems.