2_HPS_intro

Introduction to Healthcare Personnel Safety Component of NHSN
In recent years, occupational hazards faced by healthcare personnel (HCP) in the United States
have received increasing attention. Although recommendations, guidelines, and regulations to
minimize HCP exposure to such hazards have been developed, additional information is needed
to improve HCP safety. In particular, existing surveillance systems are often inadequate to
describe the scope and magnitude of occupational exposures to infectious agents and noninfectious occupational hazards that HCP experience, the outcomes of these exposures and
injuries, and the impact of preventive measures. The lack of ongoing surveillance of
occupational exposures, injuries, and infections in a national network of healthcare facilities
using standardized methodology also compromises the ability of the Centers for Disease
Prevention and Control (CDC) and other public health agencies to identify emerging problems,
to monitor trends, and to evaluate preventive measures.
CDC developed a surveillance system, NaSH or the National Surveillance System for Health
Care Workers, that focused on surveillance of exposures and infections among HCP. Operational
from 1995 through 2007, NaSH has been replaced by the Healthcare Personnel Safety
Component (HPS) of the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). The component consists
of four modules: Blood/Body Fluids Exposure with Exposure Management, Blood/Body Fluids
Exposure only, Influenza Exposure Management, and Influenza Vaccination with (or without)
Exposure Management. Additional modules are anticipated in the future. Data collected in this
surveillance system will assist healthcare facilities, HCP organizations, and public health
agencies to monitor and report trends in blood/body fluid exposures, to assess the impact of
preventive measures, to characterize antiviral medication use for exposures to influenza and to
monitor influenza vaccination rates among HCP. In addition, this surveillance component will
allow CDC to monitor national trends, to identify newly emerging hazards for HCP, to assess the
risk of occupational infection, and to evaluate measures, including engineering controls, work
practices, protective equipment, and postexposure prophylaxis designed to prevent
occupationally-acquired infections. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities participating in this
system will benefit by receiving technical support and standardized methodologies, including a
Web-based application, for conducting surveillance activities on occupational health. The NHSN
reporting application will enable participating facilities to analyze their own data and compare
these data with a national database.

Last Updated August 26, 2009

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