Following financial pressures the healthcare industry incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, GP PRO, a division of Georgia-Pacific, conducted a survey of acute and post-acute healthcare providers to understand if those pressures remain and how providers are prioritizing spending.
According to the survey, for nearly two-thirds of respondents, margins are trending up; still all respondents stated financial pressures remain due in large part to increased costs related to labor, PPE, cleaning and disposable supplies and preventing healthcare-associated infections. Despite these pressures, over the next 12 months, healthcare providers anticipate investing time and resources into staffing and retention, improving margins and preventing HAIs.
In regard to HAIs, prevention is the top financial priority for the next 12 months for one-quarter of respondents. Yet a clear majority of respondents – 84% – noted the number of such infections has somewhat or significantly increased since the onset of COVID, and 39% said preventing HAIs is worth investing more in than they currently do. For those 39%, that investment will go toward high-quality hand hygiene products, proper PPE, touchless restroom dispensers and easily accessible hand hygiene stations for staff, as well as for visitors as providing the most value.
In addition, 91% of survey respondents believe collaboration between infection preventionists and environmental services departments is important in lowering HAI rates.
Download the report here.
