New regulations adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services will permit patients to see how many hospital-acquired infections have been reported at their particular medical institution, CNN reported.

Our New York City medical malpractice lawyers believe informing patients of the dangers is one of the best ways to combat the issue of serious and fatal injuries resulting from hospital-acquired infections. As we reported earlier this year on our New York Injury Lawyer Blog, the government has cited hospital infections as a critical health and safety issue that is responsible for an estimated 100,000 deaths a year.

Advocates believe that public reporting of infection rates will help save lives and money by pressuring hospitals to improve safety measures aimed at preventing hospital-acquired infections.

"Patients shouldn't have to worry about getting sicker with an infection they catch in the hospital but every year nearly two million Americans do," says Lisa McGiffert, Director of the Consumer Union Safe Patient project. "Making infection rates public is a powerful motivator for hospitals to improve care and keep patients safe. This is an enormous victory for patient safety advocates who have worked tirelessly to hold hospitals accountable for failing to eliminate infections."

The new reporting requirements will apply to virtually all hospitals in the country. Starting next year, hospitals will be required to report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the number of patients who develop bloodstream infections in their intensive care and neonatal intensive care units. The CDC estimates that patients develop more than 250,000 central-line bloodstream infections each year while in the hospital.

During the first year, Medicare payments will be based on how well hospitals are reporting infection rates. Beginning in October 2012, payments will be tied to how well they protect patients from infection.

The government estimates that the direct costs associated with hospital infections are as high as $45 billion per year.