Hospital-acquired conditions decline 8% and decrease healthcare costs by $2.9 billion

Instances of hospital-acquired conditions (HAC) declined 8% from 2014 through 2016, resulting in the prevention of approximately 8,000 patient deaths, according to data gathered by the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research. The reduction in HACs led to a $2.9 billion healthcare spending decrease.

CMS initiatives have placed greater emphasis on reducing HACs, including falls and adverse drug events, over the years. According to a CMS press release, nearly 2.1 million HACs were avoided from 2010 through 2014. 

With the help of the Hospital Improvement Innovation Networks (HIIN), CMS has set a goal to reduce HACs by 20% from 2014 through 2019 by placing greater focus on harm reduction at 4,000 hospitals in the U.S. Once HACs have successfully been reduced by 20%, the AHRQ estimates that 1.8 million fewer patients will have HACs. If estimates are correct, this will decrease hospital spending by up to $19.1 billion and 53,000 fewer HAC-related deaths from 2015 through 2019.