On the CUSP: Stop BSI

Every year in the United States, an estimated 30,000 to 62,000 people die due to catheter-related blood stream infections. Until recently, these tragedies were viewed as an inevitable cost of doing business. Through support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Quality and Safety Research Group and the Keystone Center for Patient Safety and Quality of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, the On the CUSP: Stop BSI will save lives, prevent suffering, and reduce health care costs.

The goals of this groundbreaking project are:

• To reduce the mean rate of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) nationwide to less than one infection per 1,000 catheter days
• To improve safety culture
• To partner with CDC to support the measurement and timely feedback of CLABSI and other health care-associated infection (HAI) data

The project is based on the highly successful Keystone project that was carried out in over 100 intensive care units in Michigan. The project provides educational and technical support to states and their hospitals for implementation of the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) and an evidence-based protocol to eliminate CLABSI. The Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) transforms care and patient safety at the unit level by improving culture. Implementation of the CUSP model has been found to make reductions in HAIs sustainable over time and provides a foundation for other types of technical safety improvements.

For more information, visit www.onthecuspstophai.org