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Universal Screening for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Hospitals

Universal Screening for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Hospitals To the Editor: In their cohort study of universal screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Dr Harbarth and colleagues1 stated that the intervention was not cost-beneficial from a hospital standpoint. Proposed new rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services starting October 1, 2008, would no longer reimburse hospitals or clinicians for certain medical errors, including several categories of hospital-acquired infection.2 I believe that the newfound zeal of US hospitals to screen high-risk patients on admission for MRSA reflects an attempt to mitigate payment reduction or diagnosis-related group reduction for acquired infections by proving that the patient was already infected or at least colonized at the time of admission. These patients can then be isolated and perhaps warrant a higher billing rate based on complexity. Achieving lower infection rates is a laudable goal, but maintaining reimbursement may be the force driving much of this initiative in for-profit hospitals, which could make this intervention cost-beneficial from their perspective. Back to top Article Information Financial Disclosures: None reported. References 1. Harbarth S, Fankhauser C, Schrenzel J, et al. Universal screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at hospital admission and nosocomial infection in surgical patients. JAMA. 2008;299(10):1149-115718334690PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref 2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Web site. http://www.cms.hhs.gov. Accessed May 13, 2008 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png JAMA American Medical Association

Universal Screening for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Hospitals

Harris, Rosemary
JAMA , Volume 300 (5) – Aug 6, 2008
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References (13)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
0098-7484
eISSN
1538-3598
DOI
10.1001/jama.300.5.503-a
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

To the Editor: In their cohort study of universal screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Dr Harbarth and colleagues1 stated that the intervention was not cost-beneficial from a hospital standpoint. Proposed new rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services starting October 1, 2008, would no longer reimburse hospitals or clinicians for certain medical errors, including several categories of hospital-acquired infection.2 I believe that the newfound zeal of US hospitals to screen high-risk patients on admission for MRSA reflects an attempt to mitigate payment reduction or diagnosis-related group reduction for acquired infections by proving that the patient was already infected or at least colonized at the time of admission. These patients can then be isolated and perhaps warrant a higher billing rate based on complexity. Achieving lower infection rates is a laudable goal, but maintaining reimbursement may be the force driving much of this initiative in for-profit hospitals, which could make this intervention cost-beneficial from their perspective. Back to top Article Information Financial Disclosures: None reported. References 1. Harbarth S, Fankhauser C, Schrenzel J, et al. Universal screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at hospital admission and nosocomial infection in surgical patients. JAMA. 2008;299(10):1149-115718334690PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref 2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Web site. http://www.cms.hhs.gov. Accessed May 13, 2008

Journal

JAMA – American Medical Association

Published: Aug 6, 2008

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