Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/774606
23 Executive Briefing fection to address the gaps. Episodic ultraviolet surface disinfection is an example of an effective technology which is now being implemented in many healthcare facilities; however, it presents its own set of challenges. It's difficult to use it for daily cleaning, since the patient can't be in the room while the light is in use, so it is more frequently used for terminal cleaning. When it comes to preventing HAIs, it's usually not one thing but rather many things that need to be considered. You sometimes "have to throw all the mud up against the wall" and take a bun- dled approach for interventions. There are usually specific challenges pre- sented with each strategy, and each gap identified may require a specific approach. It requires a lot of footwork to address all of that. Q: What promising new technologies are available to assist in this effort? AMP: There is UV light disinfection for both episodic and continuous disin- fection. The UV lights that work con- tinuously have the advantage of being safe to operate while patients and staff are in the room and are often used in operating rooms. There are also new surfaces being touted for HAI prevention such as copper or silver as well as textiles in the room treated with copper, silver or other chemicals. There is even a paint you can use that reportedly aids in the fight against germs, increasing light reflectivity to aid UV robots to work more effectively. There are always new chemicals com- ing out on the market for low and mid-level disinfection; which is anoth- er thing infection preventionists really need to pay attention to. Q: What advice would you give to healthcare facilities when evaluat- ing these technologies? AMP: An infection preventionist has to create a business case by developing a cost-benefit analysis to present to the C-suite. The bottom line is that new strategies and technology often cost more money in the short run but the prevention of HAI can more than make up for the increased cost. Infection preventionists should review the literature to evaluate the efficacy of new technology or chemicals. You must be aware of the impact on operations and how [the technology] might slow things down….especially if it is going to affect throughput of patients. One example is hydrogen peroxide fogging to eliminate difficult-to-kill organisms such as Clostridium difficile from pa- tients' rooms. It's more effective than UV light but it takes considerably more time and air intakes and exhaust must be blocked off during use. Some of the things that have to be considered when advocating for a new product or technology include mate- rial compatibility, storage of any ma- chine and what support you'll receive from the vendor and sales rep. Then you must develop a good train- ing program and a system to commu- nicate the change to key stakeholders such as nursing, EVS, admitting, etc. You really have to do your due dili- gence. Talk to colleagues who have previous experience with whatever you're implementing. I often ask the vendor rep to provide me with contact information of other customers who had a successful experience with the product. Or you might ask for a free trial like I did when we considered initi- ating UV surface disinfection due to an increased incidence of C. diff. Q: What other factors contribute to effective room decontamination? AMP: When you're thinking about bringing in a new tool, try to create a buzz around the product or technol- ogy. Present it so all staff understand that if we do our job right — which we know we all want to do — we're going to be saving lives. Have a clear mes- sage about why we're all doing this. Share HAI data on a routine basis to those on the front lines — EVS, nursing, admitting, all the people doing the hard work — to make sure they see when they're making a difference…or not. It's key to continue to motivate people. Sometimes when you bring new tech- nology in, it can feel like you're adding to staff's work, and you are, but present the benefits of the new tools as a way they can make a difference in people's lives. That resonates with all of us in health- care — environmental services, doctor or nurse. That has to be an ongoing part of your education or training. Because of employee turnover, train- ing can't be one and done. Constantly interface with stakeholders. Creating relationships by having face-to-face interaction with all staff is incredibly important. n MCV00040633 REV A · Getinge Group Passion for Life, Getinge and Maquet are trademarks or registered trademarks of Getinge AB or its subsidiaries or affiliates. • Copyright 2016 Getinge AB or its subsidiaries or affiliates. • All rights reserved. It takes just 6 minutes – before and after every procedure – to lethally kill MRSA, a leading cause of SSIs, on surgical equipment surfaces. Make using the R-D ™ Rapid Disinfector ™ , before every procedure, a best practice in your surgical suite. www.getingegroup.com Six minutes can mean a lifetime R-D TM Rapid Disinfector TM UVC System