Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/393931
9 Executive Briefing: Infection Prevention infections and compliance with all evidence-based infection pre- vention recommendations." At Kirklin Clinic of UAB Hospital, Ms. Pate and her staff focused on reducing all five instances of the nosocomial transmission of pathogens, including the transmission of pathogens from a health- care worker's hands to a surface and onto the patient. To address this last type of transmission, the Clinic implemented the use of Super Sani-Cloth ® germicidal disposable wipes, which were des- ignated for disinfecting high-touch surfaces such as the exam table, the patient chair, countertops and door knobs between pa- tient visits. For potential outbreaks, the Kirklin Clinic uses a 1:10 dilution of bleach solution (Sani-Cloth ® Bleach). Research has shown that in order to facilitate usage and reduce the amount of contamination within the immediate environment, it is vital to have infection prevention solutions that are readily available. With this in mind, the clinic, in collaboration with PDI, conducted a full facility assessment to identify key locations for hand hygiene and surface cleaning stations. The clinic rolled out a full educa- tional program encouraging hand washing and the correct use of the wipes for all facility employees. Ms. Pate lauds the staff for their "very positive" response to the implementation of the wipes. "We are very fortunate that our healthcare providers and ancillary team members are fully committed to ensuring the safest patient care environment and positive patient experience. Our efforts are aimed at patient safety and patient satisfaction," Ms. Pate says, regarding the increased compliance rate and the clinic-wide staff response. The program also had a notable patient-centric approach. The clinic focused heavily on product availability not only for the healthcare provider team, but also the patients themselves. By making the alcohol-based hand wipes available in each exam room and in high traffic areas such as elevators, lobbies and pa- tient entrances, hand hygiene compliance went from 41 percent to 90 percent. Ms. Pate shares three points that helped her hand hygiene pro- gram be successful and will help others do the same. They are as follows: • Support. Have executive support and unit-based champions. • Accessibility. Point of care accessibility is key to success. Staff and patients must be able to access the products in order to be held accountable for using them. • Awareness. Partner carefully with industry partners to en- sure maximum awareness of the latest infection prevention interventions and research recommendations. As Ms. Pate's experience shows, there are a few instrumental strategies for compliance and success in improving hand and environmental hygiene. As in the clinic, it is vital to place hand hygiene and surface disinfectants at the point of use. This ensures better accessibility and is key to compliance. Furthermore, it is important to monitor practices routinely. Any non-compliant personnel should be counseled immediately. By creating unit-based local champions, as mentioned in the Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program developed by Johns Hopkins University, creating a culture of accountability throughout the organization is instrumental to the success in implementing a hand hygiene and surface disinfection program. The focus should always be on the prevention of the pathogen versus respond- ing to transmission of infection. By engaging both the care de- livery team and the patient, compliance increases and prevention is more successful. n Support, Accessibility and Awareness are three keys to hygiene program success PDI helps reduce preventable infections, control healthcare costs, and ultimately help save lives by delivering a broad range of evidence-based, market leading environmental hygiene and patient care solutions. Our expertise in making a difference in the com- munity and healthcare environments extends throughout the United States and worldwide.