The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final rule on July 6, 2022, for hospital interpretative guidance for infection prevention and control and antibiotic stewardship programs. This guidance codifies hospital Conditions of Participation (CoP) for infection prevention and control and antibiotic stewardship program requirements. Revised requirements include:
- Infection prevention and control program organization and policies
- Antibiotic stewardship program organization and policies
- Leadership responsibilities
- Unified and integrated infection prevention and control and antibiotic stewardship programs for multi-hospital systems
The guidance is effective immediately. An excerpt from the publication (§482.42(a)(4): All hospitals are required to have an infection prevention and control program. The program should reflect the scope of services offered throughout the organization. The hospital is expected to demonstrate how its infection prevention and control program adequately represents the services provided to the community it serves. In addition, the hospital program should have mechanisms in place for assessment and re-evaluation of the infection prevention and control program to ensure it responds to changes in the hospital environment on an ongoing basis.
The new requirements will be the subject of discussion at the next IP Forum (12–1 p.m., July 18). Register online here.