New financial and regu-latory changes have opened the door for rapid growth emerging market of infection control software, according to forecasts from Orem, Utah-based research firm KLAS. But an organization of hospital infection control personnel says hospitals don’t have the money.

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology’s (APIC) “2009 APIC Economic Survey” found that of the nearly 2,000 infection prevention specialists who responded, 41 percent reported reductions in budgets for infection prevention in the last 18 months due primarily to the economic downturn.

“We are concerned by these findings,” said APIC President Christine J. Nutty. “At a time when the federal government will be requiring hospitals to meet national targets for HAI reduction, infection prevention departments at our nation’s healthcare facilities need to be growing, not shrinking.”

“The decision by CMS to discontinue reimbursement for hospital-acquired infections has obviously had a direct impact on the adoption of infection control systems,” said Steve VanWagenen, KLAS research director. “Couple that with initiatives in many states requiring hospitals to report infection control data to the CDC, as well as tougher standards from insurance companies, and these solutions are poised for real growth.”

Not all the benefits of automated infection control have been quantified, but virtually all the hospitals surveyed in the KLAS study reported significantly increased staff efficiency, better patient outcomes and improved financial reimbursement - and that they would never return to previous manual workflows.

“Without enough trained professionals, funding and high-tech solutions that speed access to infection-related data, we are not going to continue to make progress in eliminating preventable infections. said APIC CEO Kathy L. Warye.