What are Healthcare Acquired Conditions?

Healthcare Acquired Conditions (HACs) are illnesses that patients develop while in a healthcare setting being treated for another condition. These conditions can cause excess healthcare spending and serious harm to patients. In fact, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that on any given day, about one in 25 hospital patients is affected by a healthcare acquired condition¹. However, these conditions are preventable when the right precautions are taken.

Safety in aviation has often been compared to safety in healthcare. (1) This is the result of significant achievements in the field of aviation as it pertains to both safety and quality improvement. Despite the number of worldwide flight hours doubling over the past 20 years, the number of fatalities has fallen from approximately 450 to 250 per year. This stands in comparison to healthcare, where in the United States alone there are an estimated 200,000 preventable medical deaths every year, which amounts to the equivalent of almost three fatal airline crashes per day. (1)

Checklists provide a wealth of positive impacts within healthcare organizations. Whether you are looking to effectively report incidents, prevent falls, or reduce overall risk, it all starts with a list. Here are the top reasons why checklists are so important in healthcare.