All glossary terms
Quality & Patient Safety

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs)

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) are infections patients acquire while receiving treatment in a medical facility that were not present on admission, such as surgical site or catheter-related infections; surgery centers track and report them as core safety and quality metrics.

What are Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs)?

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) are infections that patients acquire while receiving care in a medical facility and that were not present when they arrived. Common examples include surgical site infections and infections related to catheters or other devices.

Because they develop as a consequence of care rather than the original condition, HAIs are viewed as largely preventable and are a key focus of infection-control efforts.

Why do HAIs matter for surgery centers?

Preventing infection is central to patient safety, and surgical site infections in particular are a direct concern for any facility performing procedures. Even a small number of cases can harm patients and damage a center's reputation and outcomes.

Ambulatory surgery centers track and report HAIs as core quality and safety metrics, and performance on these measures can feed into accreditation and value-based programs. Strong infection prevention protects patients and supports the center's standing with regulators and payers.

Also searched as
  • hai meaning
  • what are healthcare associated infections
  • healthcare acquired infections
  • nosocomial infections
  • hai definition
  • hospital acquired infection
  • types of hais
Related in Quality & Patient Safety
Browse the full glossary