mPOWEr’s timely goal, to recognize and eliminate surgical site infections, was highlighted by an article this week in the Seattle Times. The article highlighted the records of specific Seattle area hospitals in a recent national Consumer Reports (CR) assessment of hospital performance in preventing healthcare associated infections. The CR article detailed the drug-resistant infections MRSA and C. difficile, as well as surgical site infections (SSIs). The summary statistics unfortunately indicate that all hospitals in the Seattle area are “average” to “worse” at preventing SSIs, the most common and costly kind of healthcare associated infection.
The risks and costs posed by SSIs to patients, providers, and organizations are significant. But the risk and development of SSIs are poorly understood. mPOWEr offers patients a way to document their symptoms and photos of their wounds in an online diary – and to communicate both progress and concerns to their healthcare providers. We believe that empowering patients and providers with this mobile tool will ultimately reduce the impact and cost of surgical site infections.
Read more about the study in the Seattle Times article and the Consumer Reports piece.