Study demonstrates clinical, financial impact of patient exposure to ill healthcare worker in long-term care facility

A study conducted by researchers in Japan shows that the presence of one ill healthcare worker in a long-term care facility led to respiratory infections among 17 patients and more than $12,000 in total medical costs. Findings from the study, published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), suggest that addressing the causative factors for such exposures is critical to help prevent infectious disease outbreaks in similar facilities.