Connecticut State Department of Public Health

The Federal Government has reopened COVIDtests.gov. Every household can order four over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for free. These tests are intended for use throughout the 2024 holiday season to detect currently circulating COVID-19 variants. Please visit COVIDtests.gov for your free test.

Using the Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) Data - Important Information to Consider

 
 
It is important to consider the following when reviewing the data:
 
  • More than one source of information should be used to judge the quality of healthcare. 
     
  • Consider the advice of your physician and other sources when deciding where to receive your healthcare. 
  • Your age, underlying illnesses, and severity of illness may give you a higher risk for infection.
     
  • Healthcare facilities that treat more high-risk patients are more likely to report infections than facilities that care mainly for lower-risk patients.
     
  • A higher rate of infection may indicate a true problem. It may also indicate that a particular healthcare facility does a better job than other facilities at identifying and reporting HAIs.
     
  • All hospitals are required to use the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC), National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) system for identifying and reporting HAIs. It can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/. In some cases, defining and reporting HAIs using NHSN surveillance criteria is different than the physician's clinical judgement.t can b
     
  • Data reported by hospitals are checked by staff of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, HAI Program, for completeness and accuracy.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
To contact the Healthcare Associated Infections Program, please call 860-509-7995.