Managing the Risk of Hospital Acquired Waterborne Pathogen Illness for Aging Patients in U.S. Hospitals

A survey of U.S. community hospitals that were identified by the American Hospital Association as having designated facility managers was included in this research. This research was intended to identify what percentage of hospitals monitor to detect known waterborne pathogens. This is especially important in that it is known that waterborne pathogens contribute to Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs). Infection among elderly persons is associated with volume depletion and negative hospital outcomes, including death. Subject matter experts, facility managers at selected hospitals, were interviewed by telephone using a structured questionnaire and asked what their facility did to monitor water at their facility. The results of this survey provide baseline information regarding water quality monitoring at U.S. hospital facilities. Knowledge about the extent of waterborne testing at U.S. hospitals could serve to develop a call for a review of the U.S. public health policy as it relates to water quality monitoring at hospitals. The results of this research raise the concern that the effective management of waterborne pathogens is not occurring at a majority of U.S. hospital facilities.