The approach makes infection prevention expertise central to the response. Sequencing identifies potential connections, while investigation helps determine what happened and what needs to change.
According to UPMC, during a 2-year period, EDS-HAT identified 172 outbreaks involving 476 patients that might have gone undetected through traditional outbreak detection methods. Following real-time investigation and intervention, no further transmission occurred in 96% of identified outbreaks.
UPMC reported that the initiative prevented 62 infections and 5 deaths, with net savings of nearly $700,000 in treatment costs and a 3.2-fold return on investment. Those reported outcomes provide infection prevention teams with specific patient safety and financial results to bring to discussions with leadership.
Helping Infection Preventionists Make Their Case
Sundermann explained that presenting genomic surveillance to executives can require considerable background before reaching the discussion of institutional value. Explaining the technology, its applications, and its role in infection prevention takes time. He sees the award to help close that education gap.
“And what I’m really excited about with this award is that The Joint Commission is recognizing genomics for infection control as an innovative tool,” Sundermann said.
He hopes that recognition will help infection preventionists gain leadership attention and better access to genomic surveillance. As he put it: “I’m most excited to now be able to say it’s a Joint Commission recognized tool.”
Lee Harrison, MD, professor of infectious diseases and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh, an infectious diseases physician at UPMC, and inventor of EDS-HAT, also emphasized the opportunity to advance adoption.
“I hope that this recognition from [The] Joint Commission and National Quality Forum contributes to ongoing conversations among US health care leadership, payors, and policymakers about the benefits of genomic surveillance as standard practice in health care,” Harrison said.
Launched in 2002, the Eisenberg Awards recognize innovative, measurable achievements in patient safety and health care quality. They honor the late John M. Eisenberg, MD, MBA, a former administrator of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
For Sundermann, the significance extends from recognition of the team’s work to the conversations that come next. Sustainable funding remains a challenge, but the award gives infection preventionists another way to explain why genomic surveillance deserves leadership’s attention.