How Should Economic Analyses Inform Nosocomial Infection Control?

Nosocomial infections are public health threats with often grave human costs. Because implementing screening and best outbreak response practices is costly for health care organizations, allocating resources for interventions requires consensus among stakeholders with a plurality of perspectives about how to weigh prospective interventions' risks and benefits. Economic analysis can facilitate decision making but is relatively new in nosocomial infection prevention and control. This article describes features of and reasons for economic analysis in this specific area and focuses on emerging challenges in antimicrobial stewardship.