Positive Deviance- Again

I have blogged about positive deviance before both here and here.

An abstract presented at the International Conference on Prevention & Infection Control (ICPIC)  reported the effect of positive deviance in 5 acute care hospitals. The volume of alcohol handrub and soap used, and the number of gowns and gloves used, were collected at baseline and then for 12 months prospectively. Social network mapping was conducted at the project start and end. Adherence with process of care measures was recorded.

Three of the five sites sustained decreases in resistant organism-related infection rates of 25 percent, 41.2 percent and 63.9 percent. Rates at the fourth site were unchanged, while the fifth site had a VRE outbreak, which resulted in a large increase in the overall resistant organism-related infection rate. HA-MRSA decreased by 100 percent at two hospital sites; HA-VRE decreased by 100 percent at two sites; and healthcare-acquired C. difficile decreased at three sites by 53 percent, 51.9 percent and 23 percent. The one site that measured hand hygiene compliance had a 53.2 percent rate increase.

Good. 

So is this sort of problem solving really something new? We will have to wait for the manuscript to fully delve into the details and to better understand the 'deviance' employed.

I am still in Argentina. Going to go for a country drive today.

Hasta luego.