Implementation of a Secure Electronic Form for Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Reporting Associated with Increased Reports Among Healthcare Workers: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Abstract

Background: Bloodborne pathogen exposures (BBPEs) are an ongoing health hazard among healthcare employees and are often underreported. Prior studies have revealed that BBPEs may be underreported due to challenges related to the reporting process.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study was completed using data from the Denver Health and Hospital Authority (DHHA). BBPE reporting incidence was compared before and after implementation of a self-reported secure electronic form (SELF) reporting system. The primary outcome was the incidence of monthly BBPE reports. The secondary outcomes were nurse triage line call volume and proportion of cases referred for urgent healthcare evaluation.

Results: The mean number of BBPE reports increased by 9.5 reports per month (p = 0.001, 95% CI 6.23, 12.54), the mean number of nurse triage line calls decreased from 23 to 7 per month (p < 0.001, 95% CI 14.39, 19.22), and referral for urgent healthcare evaluation decreased by 61.8% (p < 0.001, df = 1) between the pre-intervention and post-intervention periods.

Conclusion: Implementing a SELF may help capture a greater number of BBPE reports in large healthcare systems compared to a nurse triage system alone. Additionally, SELFs allow for acquisition of additional descriptive information about BBPEs that can be used to inform future BBPE prevention on a programmatic level.