Understanding the obstacles to consistent intravenous catheter-related infection reporting by home health providers.

Abstract

A variety of formulae have been used by home health providers to obtain consistent and accurate reporting of intravenous catheter-related infections. This article describes the most widely used statistical formulae, their advantages and disadvantages, and their relevance to the home health setting. However, because of the numerous and complex intervening variables that influence these statistical applications, epidemiological measurement in nonhospital settings remains an unresolved dilemma for most providers.