Why this measure is important

A surgical site infection (SSI) is an infection that occurs after surgery in the part of the body where the surgery took place. Surgical site infections can sometimes be superficial infections involving only the skin. Other surgical site infections are more serious and can involve tissue under the skin, organs or implanted material. Reducing these types of events keeps patients healthy and able to fully and quickly recover from their procedures.

How we measure

Surgical site infections are rare enough that we measure how many days elapse between each event using a “Days since previous event” chart.

What we are doing to improve

Implementing evidence-based bundles of care to reduce surgical site infections. We monitor this data to ensure the reliable use of these care bundles to keep every surgical patient safe.

Sharing data with our clinical leaders and clinical teams.