General questions and answers about the Ontario release of C. difficile information
Question:
What exactly will all Hospitals report on September 26th?
Answer:
On the last day of each month, beginning September 26, 2008, York Central Hospital, along with all hospitals in Ontario, will be required to publicly report on their own websites:
- The number of new hospital-acquired C. difficile cases the hospital has had in the previous month
- The rate of new hospital-acquired C. difficile cases for the previous month.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care will also report the same information on its own website.
Question:
How are the rates calculated?
Answer:
The C. difficile rate is calculated as follows:
Number of new hospital-acquired cases of C. difficile-associated disease (CDAD) associated with the reporting facility x 1,000 divided by the number of patient days. This rate represents the incidence rate of hospital-acquired C. difficile, associated with the reporting facility per 1,000 patient days. The exclusion criteria for the data (excluded from the numerator and denominator) are children under one year. All other patients (e.g. mental health and rehab) are included.
Question:
Why is it not useful to compare hospitals’ C. difficile rates?
Answer:
The public reporting of C. difficile rates is not intended to serve as a measure for hospitals to compare themselves against other organizations, or for the public to use as a measure of where to seek care. Rates can vary from hospital to hospital, month to month. Some hospitals may experience higher rates of C. difficile due to the nature of the care they provide and their patient population, such as those with higher elderly patient populations. What the public reporting adds and ensures is that all hospitals are tracking and counting in the same way. This is not for comparison purposes, but rather for accountability. Our posting of the data on our website confirms York Central Hospital’s commitment to public accountability and transparency. A further benefit is that hospitals with similar demographics and challenges can more easily learn from one another and share tips and strategies.
Question:
Who can I contact to learn more about C. difficile?
Answer:
If you would like more information about C. difficile, please contact:
York Region Health Services Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653.
York Central Hospital C. difficile rates
Reporting Period
|
Case Count:
|
Rate per 1,000 patient days:
|
| June 1, 2010 - June 30, 2010 |
<5 |
0.21 |
May 1 to May 31, 2010 |
<5 |
0.19 |
Apr. 1 to Apr. 30, 2010 |
5 |
0.52 |
Mar. 1 to Mar. 31, 2010 |
6 |
0.59 |
Feb.1 to Feb 28, 2010 |
<5 |
0.32 |
Jan 1 to Jan 31, 2010 |
<5 |
0.19 |
Dec 1 to Dec 31, 2009 |
<5 |
0.20 |
Nov.1 to Nov 31, 2009 |
<5 |
0.40 |
Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, 2009 |
5 |
0.49 |
Sept. 1, to Sept. 30, 2009
|
<5
|
0.38 |
Aug. 1, to Aug. 31, 2009
|
8
|
0.74 |
July 01 to July 31,
2009
|
<5
|
0.19
|
June 01 to June 30,
2009
|
<5
|
0.10
|
May 01 to May 31,
2009
|
<5
|
0.09
|
April 01 to April
30, 2009
|
5
|
.48
|
Mar. 01 to Mar. 31,
2009
|
11
|
1.02
|
Feb. 01 to Feb. 28,
2009
|
6
|
0.60
|
Jan. 01 to Jan. 31,
2009
|
7
|
0.65
|
Dec. 01 to Dec. 31,
2008
|
7
|
0.67
|
Nov. 01 to Nov. 30,
2008
|
5
|
0.51
|
Oct. 01 to Oct. 31,
2008
|
11
|
1.08
|
Sept. 01 to Sept.
30, 2008
|
8
|
0.84
|
Aug. 01 to Aug. 31,
2008
|
<5
|
0.42
|
Rates reported are for the previous month. Numbers between 1 and 4 are not required to be reported as stated in the Ministry's reporting information
guidelines.
Learn more about Clostridium difficile by visiting the following agency websites:
|
