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COVID-19 recovery returns IP teams to holistic HAI prevention
2022 Infection Prevention Resource Guide by Erin Brady
A
t the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a height- ened urgency to clean and protect.
With COVID receding, there is still a need for infection prevention. Other infectious agents, such as Clostridioides diffi cile (C. diff), Candida auris (C. auris) and central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) did not go away. With a smaller workforce and a stressed one, what is next? How do we ensure that infection prevention departments have what they need to achieve the highest standards?
Education is key The biggest change in the post-COVID era is awareness, said Tristan Williams, Chief Technology Offi cer, Finsen Technologies. “Prior to COVID, infection prevention was focused on healthcare alone and was the preserve of dedicated specialists, now it is a much broader picture with a much bigger number of enlightened stakeholders. In addition to the awareness, there is more education available than previously, and this is enabling more technical and informed discussion. What has remained the same, is the human factor, specifi cally caveat emptor (buyer beware) as I have personally witnessed large purchases of completely unsuitable devices for the applications they are intended or tendered for.” Finsen Technologies told Healthcare Purchasing News that Finsen is focusing on education this year, particularly, the importance of proper fl oor disinfection using UVC. “This has been an aspect that we have found to be often overlooked and a simple process to integrate into everyday processes to optimize infection prevention measures,” Williams said. “Optimization is key; understanding how each process or technology can overlap and streamline your processes, how the data from each technology can integrate with your management system, [and how to] ascertain [whether] the level of support from each supplier is suitable for your needs prior to purchase or integration.” PDI is concentrating on continuing education for new staff says
Holly Montejano, PDI Clinical Science Liaison, MS, CIC, CPHQ, VA-BC. “There are many new nurses and infection prevention- ists in healthcare currently who may lack the broader skillsets to successfully do their jobs. With time and resources at a premium, educational offerings for these positions are being made available electronically and free of cost in the form of continuing education
38 June 2022 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
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credits, which is benefi cial to both nursing and infection prevention programs. Also, product-specifi c information available in electronic learning systems for frontline staff supports just-in-time education, as well as product use compliance.”
Accessibility and infection prevention The use of computers and other data collection devices in healthcare poses a unique challenge to infection prevention efforts, accord- ing to Steve Reinecke, MT(CLS), CPHIMS, Chief Scientist and Regulatory Compliance Offi cer, Proximity Systems. “It is proven that the faster we have access to information in healthcare, the better the outcomes, yet the data collection devices we are using, if not properly disinfected, can inad- vertently be a conduit for patients and staff to become ill,” Reineke said. “The computers at nurse’s stations, patient rooms, and mobile carts, along with pumps and patient monitors are used 24 hours a day. They are rarely manually wiped down or disinfected and there is seldom training or documented procedures around the cleaning of these surfaces. Housekeeping, nursing and IT disputes over who is responsible for the computer workstation, pumps and patient monitor cleaning, with these surfaces being some of the dirtiest places in healthcare, contribute to the prevalence of healthcare- associated infections (HAIs) that lead to morbidity, mortality and excess healthcare expenditure.” Sarah Simmons, DrPH CIC FAPIC, Senior Director of Science, Xenex, emphasizes the issue of effi cacy in new products, especially during the pandemic. “New products fl ooded the market during the pandemic, and many of them made wild claims about effi cacy. I am hopeful that hospital decision-makers now have the time to ask for and review peer-reviewed articles about any technology they are considering,” she said. “Ask the manufacturer to provide you with multiple peer-reviewed and published studies validating the effi cacy of that specifi c device or system in a hospital setting that proves the technology works. Anecdotes and posters are not enough. If the technology hasn’t been proven effective in multiple
UV-CLEAN by Proximity
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