INFECTION PREVENTION


Looking past the pandemic for cleaning and infection prevention success HPN asked industry professionals what they envisioned as the future of IP and EVS needs and practices. Here are their thoughts and predictions.


“Among other things, 2020 taught us just how unpredictable the future can be. We do know the pandemic will continue into 2021. We don’t know what impact vaccines will have, or when. But I think it’s reasonable to as- sume that, at some point in the future, there will be a glut of product in the market. But prices won’t necessarily come down because that product will have been manufactured using source materials priced at peak. As far as practices are concerned, I believe the touchless trend will continue, even after the pandemic subsides.” — Brian Martin, Acute Care Pharmaceuti- cals, a Member of Hospeco Brands Group


“At some point, we will arrive on the other side of this pandemic. Once we all catch our breath, we need to take an inventory of the lessons learned. First, being the heightened awareness of the importance of both hand hygiene and environmental cleaning and dis- infection – it is vital that we keep this positive momentum going. We have learned some hard lessons this past year and by now we should understand the critical importance of being continuously prepared for the next emerging microbial threat or pandemic. This preparation should include having the right products and technologies available.” — Doe Kley, Clorox Healthcare


“SARS-CoV-2 is taxing the traditional infection control infrastructure. Recent publications suggest hospitals are experiencing an increase in some healthcare-associated infections as a result. The trend may continue unless resources are made available to maintain a consistent level of environmental cleanliness. Using a robust environmental hygiene program may help. To be effective, this programmatic ap- proach should incorporate efficacious and efficient products, clear and evidence-based


processes and training, and objective per- formance monitoring technology to provide real-time actionable data back to infection prevention staff.”


— Linda Homan, Ecolab Healthcare


“Needs and practices for EVS and IP personnel will intensify post-pandemic. I envision innova- tive technology and solutions being a must; perhaps increased automation so there is less dependency on human factors, innovative equipment/surfaces that have sustained anti- microbial effects, improved audit/surveillance tools for disinfection compliance, or improve- ments in surface compatibility materials or environmental design. I also see the increased need for strong relationships between IP and EVS. EVS personnel have eyes on the institu- tion daily and can provide important feedback regarding potentially problematic situations before problems arise.” — Debra Hagberg, PDI Healthcare


“In working with the Rubbermaid Commercial Products’ Cleaning Advisory Board, we believe there are several key areas of focus: protecting and supporting EVS staff, maintaining vigilance across all areas of the hospital—not just COVID units, and anticipating a potential shift towards disposable cleaning products with proven ef- ficacy. Another important focus is working to ensure that facilities have adequate supplies of cleaning products and PPE to meet their needs. This was a critical issue earlier in the pandemic and one that Rubbermaid is prepared to ad- dress for the future.”


— Michelle Olsen, Rubbermaid Commer- cial Products


“COVID-19 will have an everlasting impact on hospitals and medical facilities. In 2021 and beyond, proper training for surface cleaning and hand hygiene will be key in ensuring EVS


and IP staff are up to speed on proper hygiene protocols. We’ll continue to see the integration of technology in EVS and IP practices across training and products. Additionally, we’ll see technology implemented into physical products to improve efficiency.” — Deborah Chung, Essity Professional Hygiene, North America, part of Tork


“I and many healthcare professionals with whom I have spoken agree that COV- ID-19 may not be the last pandemic we see in our lifetime. In the past decade, every year has brought new and emerging pathogens. Many spore-producing bacteria are nasty pathogens, like Bacillus anthracis, the cause of anthrax and Clostridium difficile.”


— Maryalice StClair, Halosil International, Inc.


“Every industry is going to be concerned with how to keep their employees and consumers safe and because of that, products like our zoned shoe sanitizing systems, disinfectant mats, and shoe wash stations will become more commonplace. I think we’ve only scratched the surface of what our needs will become. The widespread nature of this pan- demic, combined with a high threat of seasonal illnesses, has opened our eyes to a gap in the plan. This will eventually force companies to display their ingenuity and engineer more products to meet the needs of the healthcare industry and beyond.”


— Nancy Huber, NoTrax


“An important new need in healthcare environ- ments is the ability to rapidly disinfect high- turnover procedure rooms and ORs between cases without a dedicated FTE. This requires high-powered fixed mount systems, that are not moved from room to room, which employ high-efficacy germicidal UVC at 253.7nm.” — Sam Trapani, Steriliz UVC


Image by athree23 from Pixabay


“More seamless collaboration than ever. The example of PPE and N95 sourcing challenges underlines how core environmental safety equipment plays a key role in infection pre- vention. Products and devices that provide automated user data and analytics to empower in-the-moment efficiency, decision making and partnership between EVS and IPs are especially key.” — Richard Hayes, UltraViolet Devices, Inc.


34 February 2021 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • hpnonline.com


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