Leapfrog Group: Hospital infections decline

Hospitals reduced central line-associated bloodstream infections by 38%, catheter-associated urinary tract infections by 36% and MRSA by 34% in 2024 compared with 2022, when hospital-acquired infection rates peaked following the pandemic, the Leapfrog Group reported. Hand hygiene and medication safety also improved. Nearly 80% of hospitals achieved Leapfrog’s new standard for hand hygiene, up from 11% in 2020 when Leapfrog introduced it. More than 88% of hospitals met Leapfrog’s standard for computerized physician order entry to catch common errors in prescribing, up from 65.6% of hospitals in 2018. Nearly 87% of hospitals met Leapfrog’s scores on deployment of bar code medication administration in 2024, compared with 47.3% in 2018. Leapfrog evaluated nearly 3,000 hospitals on their ability to prevent medical errors, accidents and infections. (Leapfrog Group news release, 11/15/24)