A demonstration project on the impact of safety culture on infection control practices in hemodialysis.

Background: Infections among hemodialysis patients continues to be major causes of morbidity and mortality despite advances in the science of infection prevention. Many infections are potentially preventable, yet research suggests that evidence-based interventions are not uniformly practiced in dialysis settings. The purpose of the project was to reduce the risk of infection among hemodialysis patients in an outpatient dialysis clinic in upstate New York through the development of an enhanced patient safety culture.