The use of the medical record and financial data to examine the cost of infections in the elderly.

This study demonstrates what can be accomplished when the medical record and other data sources are utilized. By using the medical record as well as financial data and input from the infectious disease department, a detailed analysis of infections in an elderly population in relation to cost and length of stay was completed. This pilot study also enabled the hospital to determine the types of studies that should be done in the future. Quality assessment and improvement studies that examine the effectiveness of infection control procedures over time, the importance of examining both community-acquired and nosocomial infections, and the differences that severity of illness may have on cost and length of stay are all areas that have been identified as needing further study. Future studies in this area and other areas will continue to utilize the medical record. However, the data obtained from the medical record should not be examined alone. It should be analyzed along with other data sources such as severity of illness data, financial data, quality assessment data, infection control data, and risk management data in order to examine epidemiological trends over time. Only when several data sources are used together to investigate a particular aspect of care will that aspect of care be thoroughly and completely examined.