Missouri DHSS reverses decision to remove infection rate data from State Web site

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced it will make older hospital infection records searchable on the public database. Consumer advocates expressed concern about the department updating the online database every year so older information was no longer available to the public.  A 2004 law had required the state to make available in a publicly searchable website hospital infection records. But the department had commenced removing the data from the site on a rolling, 12-month basis. The data is not deleted; it is just not readily available to the public.   The Missouri Health Care-Associated Infection Reporting is available online at http://www.dhss.mo.gov/HAI/