Surveillance of Healthcare-Associated Infections

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are the most common complication for hospitalised patients in Australia, with approximately 165,000 cases annually (NHMRC 2019).

These infections, which can occur in any healthcare setting, cause unnecessary pain and suffering for the patient, prolong hospital stays and add to the cost of care (ACSQHC 2019).

However, through HAI surveillance, approximately one-third of these cases can be prevented (VICNISS 2020).

What is a Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI)?

The term healthcare-associated infection (HAI) refers to any infection acquired as a result of healthcare, either directly or indirectly (ACSQHC 2019).

HAIs may be caused by a variety of pathogens, some of which are multi-resistant organisms (MROs) that are especially difficult to identify and treat (NSW DoH 2017).