Developing information technology for infection prevention surveillance

The potential to automate at least part of the surveillance process for health care-associated infections was seen as soon as hospitals began to implement computer systems. Progress toward automated surveillance has been ongoing for the last several decades. But as more information becomes available electronically in the healthcare setting, the promise of electronic surveillance for healthcare-associated infections has become closer to reality. Although true fully automated surveillance is not here yet, significant progress is being made at a number of centers for electronic surveillance of central catheter-associated bloodstream infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and other healthcare-associated infections. We review the progress that has been made in this area and issues that need to be addressed as surveillance systems are implemented, as well as promising areas for future development.