Me and My Family
What Can We Do To Prevent HAI?
As a patient in a hospital or other healthcare setting, you are at risk of getting an infection while you are being treated for something else. Just being in a hospital can put patients at risk for getting a healthcare-associated infection (HAI), such as a blood infection, surgical site infection, or diarrhea. Patients and their loved ones can play a role to help prevent infection by asking or reminding healthcare providers to clean their hands prior to touching each patient. Practicing hand hygiene is a simple yet effective way to prevent infections. Your hands can spread germs too, so protect yourself by cleaning your hands often. On any given day, about one in 25 hospital patients has an HAI.