The prevention of health care-associated infections (HAIs) is a top priority for public health officials, with agencies across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) escalating efforts to reduce, treat, and inform the public about HAIs. The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health (ASH), Region VI, is leading one such effort, planning a consumer Web site with information about HAIs to raise awareness and assist consumers in making informed health care choices.

Region IV contracted with L&M to conduct formative research to support the development of the Web site's elements. L&M's key tasks include:

• Coordinating with the Region VI HAI Workgroup that includes infectious disease experts from Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and other federal agencies
• Identifying and evaluating existing national and/or state HAI Web sites to characterize the array of data displays and language for publicly reporting HAIs
• Conducting a series of focus groups with consumers to gather input about HAI information and its potential for supporting informed choice