To help reduce infection rates, Consumer Reports made the following suggestions:

Consistently follow established protocols for managing superbug infections, such as ensuring that all staff use gowns, masks, gloves, and other protections appropriately.
Being held financially accountable, including covering all costs for treating infections patients pick up during their stay, even costs after discharge.
Have an antibiotic stewardship program. That should include mandatory reporting of antibiotic use to the CDC.
Accurately report how many infections patients get in the hospital. And, the government should validate those reports.
Promptly report outbreaks to patients, as well as to state and federal health authorities. Those agencies should inform the public so that patients know the risks before they check in.

Tips to help patients prevent infections include:

Question the use of antibiotics. Talk to doctors about only using antibiotics when necessary and, when needed, prescribing drugs that are appropriate for their specific infection.
Insist on a clean hospital room. If it looks dirty, ask for it to be cleaned. Patients should ask anyone entering their hospital room to wash his or her hands.

Instant Insights /

Consumer Reports ranks U.S. hospitals based on infection levels