Automated methods for surveillance of surgical site infections

Automated data, especially from pharmacy and administrative claims, are ava ilable for much of the U.S. population and might substantially improve both inpatient and postdischarge surveillance for surgical site infections comp licating selected procedures, while reducing the resources required. Potent ial improvements include better sensitivity, less susceptibility to interob server variation, more uniform availability of data, more precise estimates of infection rates, and better adjustment for patients' coexisting illness .