Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/571945
26 Executive Briefing If applied as soap, doesn't the CHG just wash off? Even though HIBICLENS is a soap as opposed to a disposable wipe, it is just a different way to apply the same active ingredient onto a patient, Ms. Meyer says. Once applied, CHG binds to the skin. So, even though it is a soap that does involve washing and rinsing the patient, the CHG remains on the skin and can continue to kill flora until the next daily bath. How long does a CHG product have to remain on the skin? There has been some confusion about how long CHG soap needs to stay on the skin to be effective, according to Ms. Meyer. For instance, it may take about 10 minutes for the CHG to kill some of the more hardy germs, while others will die in the first few seconds. "People mistakenly think that they have to allow the HIBICLENS to lay on the skin for that long," she says. The product does not need to physically remain on the skin for 10 minutes before being washed off with water, because CHG binds to the skin as it is applied. "CHG can continue protecting a patient for up to 24 hours. As long as you applied it full-strength to the skin, it's going to work for you," Ms. Meyer says. 2 Won't using a CHG soap be more time-consuming than a wipe? A common issue that arises if a hospital switches from a disposable CHG wipe to a soap is efficiency. Ms. Meyer says the CHG product should be as user- friendly as possible for staff, but maintains that a soap can often be as convenient as a wipe and combating the efficiency issue is as simple as educating the staff. "We make [the process] as close as possible to what they're doing right now," she says, detailing how she and others from Mölnlycke Health Care go into hospitals, sit with the staff to understand their current processes, then make suggestions to seamlessly integrate HIBICLENS. Soap CHG products can be integrated into any bathing protocol that's already in place, which means it may even eliminate a step when the process involves both properly bathing a patient and using a CHG wipe. Other advantages of CHG soap Beyond the potential for it to be a time-saver, using a CHG soap like HIBICLENS has other advantages over a disposable wipe, according to Ms. Meyer. For instance, a CHG soap has the potential to boost patient experience. "Patients are writing online that they are dissatisfied that they did not receive a bath in the hospital," Ms. Meyer says, because they don't perceive the wipe-down with a CHG cloth as being a true bath. When CHG is applied as a soap, it eliminates that problem. Finally, disposable CHG wipes can carry major costs with them. According to figures from the market, such wipes can cost upwards of $5.52 per patient bath, while using a soap product is more cost-efficient while still being effective. n 1 http://www.chlorhexidinefacts.com/mechanism-of-action.html 2 MBT Study No. 582-106, Protocol #582.1.11.12.12 Xtend Healthcare is the revenue cycle management firm that clients can count on to maximize cash collection and expedite resolution of account receivables. Our approach combines on-site and off-site revenue cycle teams to optimize A/R recovery and client communication. We provide all clients with state-of-the-art technology and practice rigid HIPPA compliance. Our advanced data security capabilities, Proprietary Inventory Management System (PRISM) and Automated Web-Based Follow-Up technology allow our clients to see resolutions to their revenue situations quickly.