INFECTION PREVENTION
connection of an infusion. Integrating ultra- sound and more technical devices into our procedures also requires education specific to the low-level and high-level disinfecting practices necessary to avoid contamination during insertion of needles. Every clinician should take responsibility for education, teaching others, reading the research and recommendations, and helping to reinforce best practices every day.”
Suggesting healthcare professionals think outside the box, UV Angel’s Lee opined, “I absolutely think more can be done, I think
looking at pathways of transmission and thinking outside the box. If we’ve always done something in a particular way and people are still getting sick, it is essential to think of alternative ways of transmis- sion. Thinking beyond ‘we need to do more terminal cleaning,’ or ‘we need to step up routine cleaning,’ or ‘workers have to wash their hands more,’ but really consider the interplay between the air and people in the environment. The air may be creating pathways of transmission between sur- faces, patients and staff. There is strong
evidence that simple toilet flushing puts pathogens into the air, that land somewhere; on clothing, handrails, and surfaces in patients’ rooms.” GOJO’s DiGiorgio added, “While some issues cannot be solved immediately, return- ing to basic infection prevention measures can be initiated even at a local level. Unit- based managers are uniquely positioned to set expectations and provide direct coaching to staff because of their presence in units. Working alongside staff to pick a few items to improve upon can help facilitate buy-in and establish local safety culture. Changes to safety culture don’t happen overnight, but setting goals and incrementally working towards improvement is key. Clear and frequent feedback plus action plans should always accompany an initiative.” MD-Medical Data’s Lee pointed out the
importance and value of the relationship between IPs and the C-suite in lowering the occurrence of HAIs by improving hygiene practices.
“I don’t think we have done enough to improve hygiene compliance. We see HAI and antibiotic resistance back on the rise after COVID -19. Once again, infection prevention continues to move down the priority list for Administration. IPs need to have a seat at the table with Administration, Supply Chain, etc. and be recognized as an expense-reduction and revenue-producing opportunity. They need to be comfortable in presenting both a clinical and financial value proposition to the C-Suite.” Lee added, “IPs also needed to learn
how to be comfortable with large data and analytics tools and seek to acquire these tools, such as hygiene-compliance technol- ogy. Additionally, IPs need to take a more synergistic, evidence-based and blended approach as suggested by SHEA (Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America), where they say, ‘not one solution/inter- vention can move the needle on HAI, but a combination of solutions/interventions’ (i.e., terminal clean robot + hand-hygiene technology).”
The costs of hygiene practices With many hospitals and healthcare facili- ties still trying to recoup profits lost during the pandemic, the desire for increased hygiene practices may fall victim to decreased budgets. UV Angel’s Lee remains optimistic and said, “I think you can have really good hygiene practices and be cost-effective, considering the cost of infections, the cost of employee absenteeism and replacing staff that is out due to illness. Beyond finan- cial burdens, we also need to consider the patients that are getting infections while being in the facility’s care. If we can focus
Continued on page 37 26 October 2023 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
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