Health care executives will have to demonstrate involvement in their organization's infection control programs, according to revised standards by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. That includes ensuring that adequate resources are allocated to achieve better outcomes.

"Leadership has to be involved," says Robert Wise, M.D., vice president of the Joint Commission's division of standards and survey methods. "Improving infection control is a long-term commitment that organizations must put resources toward. It's a chronic problem that will require a multifaceted approach."

JCAHO issued the revised standards in November to increase awareness of infections in health care settings. The standards will take effect January 2005. Like medication errors, hospital-based infections are preventable and should be a prominent part of an organization's patient safety plan. "Infection control is a patient safety initiative," Wise says.

The standards require development and implementation of prevention plans. JCAHO is also field testing new requirements that hospitals must meet to respond to epidemics and take steps to limit the emergence of antimicrobial resistant pathogens.

The revised standards require that hospitals follow five basic areas (see chart).

To further improve awareness of hospital associated infections, the commission suggests that organizations report any deaths or serious injury resulting from such infections to the Sentinel Event database.