Background: Traditional methodologies for healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) surveillance
can be resource intensive and time consuming. As a consequence, surveillance is
often limited to specific organisms or conditions. Various electronic databases exist within
the healthcare setting and may be utilized to perform HCAI surveillance.
Aim: To assess the utility of electronic surveillance systems for monitoring and detecting
HCAI.
Methods: A systematic review of published literature on surveillance of HCAI was performed.
Databases were searched for studies published between January 2000 and
December 2011. Search terms were divided into infection, surveillance and data management
terms, and combined using Boolean operators. Studies were included for review
if they demonstrated or proposed the use of electronic systems for HCAI surveillance.
Findings: In total, 44 studies met the inclusion criteria. For the majority of studies,
emphasis was on the linkage of electronic databases to provide automated methods for
monitoring infections in specific clinical settings. Twenty-one studies assessed the performance
of their method with traditional surveillance methodologies or a manual
reference method. Where sensitivity and specificity were calculated, these varied
depending on the organism or condition being surveyed and the data sources employed.
Conclusions: The implementation of electronic surveillance was found to be feasible in
many settings, with several systems fully integrated into hospital information systems and
routine surveillance practices. The results of this review suggest that electronic surveillance
systems should be developed to maximize the efficacy of abundant electronic data
sources existing within hospitals.