Healthcare consumers are savvier today than ever before, with easy access to data about healthcare providers at their fingertips via smartphone or tablet. Healthcare consumers also have far more to choose from as compared to previous generations, and are far more likely to exercise their freedom of choice.
Studies have found the rate of hospital-acquired infections, such as MRSA, VRE and clostridium difficile, is a statistic that many healthcare consumers consider strongly before choosing a healthcare provider. A facility with a low rate of hospital-acquired infections is often chosen over a facility with a higher rate.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that at least 2 million people become infected with hospital acquired infections (HAI’s), while hospitalized every year.