Alabama Administrative Code › Title 420 - ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF HEALTH › Chapter 420-4-5 - HEALTHCARE-ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS REPORTING › Section 420-4-5-.01 - Definitions And Acronyms

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms and
				acronyms shall have the following meanings respectively ascribed to
				them.
(a) "Accuracy" means the
			 correctness of data reported about Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
			 submitted to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) according to
			 standards recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
			 National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).
(b) "ADPH" means the Alabama Department of
			 Public Health, Bureau of Communicable Disease, Division of Epidemiology, HAI
			 Branch: The RSA Tower, 201 Monroe Street, Montgomery, Alabama 36104, P.O. Box
			 303017, Montgomery, Alabama 36130-3017.
(c) "Advisory Council" means the Healthcare
			 Data Advisory Council as referenced in
Code of Ala.
			 1975
, §
								22-11A-118.
(d) "Board" means the State Board of
			 Health.
(e) "CAUTI" means
			 Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection.
(f) "CDC" means the Centers for Disease
			 Control and Prevention.
(g)
			 "CLABSI" means Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection.
(h) "Critical Care Unit" means a care area
			 that provides intensive observation, diagnosis, and therapeutic procedures for
			 adults or children or both, or neonatal patients, who are critically ill.
			 "Critical Care" and "Intensive Care" are used interchangeably. Care areas that
			 provide step-down, intermediate care, or telemetry only, and specialty care
			 areas are excluded.
(i) "Data"
			 means patient information submitted by healthcare facilities to carry out the
			 requirements of the Mike Denton Infection Reporting Act,
Code of
			 Ala. 1975
, §
								22-11A-110, et seq.
(j) "Electronic Data Submission" means
			 transferring data from a computer used by a reporting entity to the National
			 Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).
(k) "General Care Ward" means a
			 multidisciplinary care area that provides moderate observation, diagnosis, and
			 therapeutic procedures for adults or children or both who are ill.
(l) "Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI)"
			 means a localized or systemic condition that results from adverse reaction to
			 the presence of an infectious agent or agents or its toxins, and that was not
			 present or incubating at the time of admission to the healthcare facility. The
			 terms "Health Care Facility Acquired Infection" and "Healthcare-Associated
			 Infection" are synonymous as used in these rules.
(m) "Healthcare Facility" means general,
			 critical access, and specialized hospitals, including pediatric hospitals but
			 excluding psychiatric, rehabilitation, long-term care, and eye hospitals,
			 licensed pursuant to
Code of Ala. 1975
, §
								22-21-20.
(n) "Mixed Acuity Ward" means a hospital area
			 for the evaluation and treatment of adult patients whose conditions are of
			 varying levels of acuity (e.g., critical care, ward-level care, step down type
			 care, etc.). Such a care area may be comprised of patients followed by
			 different hospital services (e.g., coronary, medical, surgical, etc.). This
			 care area may or may not include "acuity adaptable" or "universal" beds (i.e.,
			 this model of patient care allows a patient to stay in the same bed during all
			 phases of his care, from critical care through lower levels of care).
(0) "Mixed Age, Mixed Acuity Ward"
			 means a hospital area for the evaluation and treatment of a mixture of adult
			 and pediatric patients whose conditions are of varying levels of acuity (e.g.,
			 critical care, ward-level care, step down type care, etc.). Such a care area
			 may be comprised of patients followed by different hospital services (e.g.,
			 coronary, medical, surgical, etc.). This care area may or may not include
			 "acuity adaptable" or "universal" beds (i.e., this model of patient care allows
			 a patient to stay in the same bed during all phases of his care, from critical
			 care through lower levels of care).
(p) "NHSN" means the National Healthcare
			 Safety Network, the electronic system developed by the CDC used to capture HAI
			 data.
(q) "Risk Adjusted" means a
			 process used to identify and adjust for variation in patient HAI outcomes which
			 stem from differences in patient characteristics across healthcare
			 organizations. Risk adjustment accounts for patient-related attributes, such as
			 age, gender, and pre-existing conditions.
(r) "SSI" means Surgical Site
			 Infection.
(s) "Validate" means to
			 evaluate the quality and accuracy of patient information submitted by a
			 healthcare facility to ensure consistency across reporting
			 facilities.
Authors:
Kelly M. Stevens, M.S., Nina C.
				  Hassell, M.P.H.
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
				  1975
, §
										22-11A-113;
				  22-11A-119;
				  22-2-2(6).