CDC Safe Healthcare Blog: The Role of the Healthcare Environment in HAIs
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent this bulletin at 05/03/2013 02:52 PM EDTToday on CDC’s Safe Healthcare Blog, Kerri A. Thom, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, puts a spotlight on the healthcare environment and its role in spreading bacteria that cause healthcare-associated infections. She discusses this topic in context of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) spring meeting, where professionals in healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention are focusing on evidence-based research and policies to further identify the impact of the healthcare environment on healthcare-associated infections.
Join the conversation at http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/
Guest Author, Dr. Kerri Thom
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Epidemiology and Public Health
University of Maryland School of Medicine
As leaders in infection control and prevention, healthcare epidemiologists and infection preventionists must work to educate other healthcare professionals, from the C-Suite to the frontline, on the need to incorporate comprehensive environmental cleaning and disinfection strategies to reduce HAIs. At the University of Maryland, we look to use data to demonstrate how evidence-based strategies can reduce environmental contamination. For example, using methods like fluorescent dye to capture the rate of high-touch surface disinfection, we are able to provide immediate feedback to frontline staff and to report data back to hospital management highlighting the frequency of cleanliness of these surfaces.
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America’s
(SHEA) Spring Meeting puts a spotlight on the impact of the healthcare environment in the spread of bacteria responsible for healthcare-associated infections. Healthcare environment research identifies the role of the healthcare environment to contaminate the hands of healthcare professionals, hospital surfaces and medical equipment. The goal of the meeting is to educate professionals in healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention on evidence-based research and policies in this area.
At the meeting, several sessions examine motivation and behavior change techniques that can optimize the efficacy of a good old-fashioned cleaning and disinfection. While hospital cleaning staff often focus on the disinfection of patient rooms’ bathrooms, other near-patient surfaces and equipment can be overlooked. SHEA believes educating staff on the role of the healthcare environment and optimizing worker performance can be one of the most effective measures to adequately disinfect patient rooms.
The meeting highlights emerging technologies aimed at improving environmental hygiene that may also reduce HAIs. Ultraviolet radiation has been shown to help kill important bacteria like C. difficile and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) on high-touch surfaces. In the most recent issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, a study focused on the use of hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) as an effective way to sanitize the packaging of unused medical supplies, potentially reducing hospital costs.
Every day, SHEA members are working to move the needle forward in efforts to prevent and control healthcare-associated infections. As we gather in Atlanta, our hope is to empower healthcare professionals with critical knowledge and resources in the fight against healthcare-associated infections and the role of the healthcare environment to create improved patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
Join the conversation at http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/
The Role of the Healthcare Environment: Challenges and Opportunities in Reducing Healthcare-Associated Infections
Categories: Healthcare-associated infections
May 3rd, 2013 12:51 pm ET - .
Kerri A. Thom, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Epidemiology and Public Health
University of Maryland School of Medicine
As leaders in infection control and prevention, healthcare epidemiologists and infection preventionists must work to educate other healthcare professionals, from the C-Suite to the frontline, on the need to incorporate comprehensive environmental cleaning and disinfection strategies to reduce HAIs. At the University of Maryland, we look to use data to demonstrate how evidence-based strategies can reduce environmental contamination. For example, using methods like fluorescent dye to capture the rate of high-touch surface disinfection, we are able to provide immediate feedback to frontline staff and to report data back to hospital management highlighting the frequency of cleanliness of these surfaces.
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America’s
(SHEA) Spring Meeting puts a spotlight on the impact of the healthcare environment in the spread of bacteria responsible for healthcare-associated infections. Healthcare environment research identifies the role of the healthcare environment to contaminate the hands of healthcare professionals, hospital surfaces and medical equipment. The goal of the meeting is to educate professionals in healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention on evidence-based research and policies in this area.At the meeting, several sessions examine motivation and behavior change techniques that can optimize the efficacy of a good old-fashioned cleaning and disinfection. While hospital cleaning staff often focus on the disinfection of patient rooms’ bathrooms, other near-patient surfaces and equipment can be overlooked. SHEA believes educating staff on the role of the healthcare environment and optimizing worker performance can be one of the most effective measures to adequately disinfect patient rooms.
The meeting highlights emerging technologies aimed at improving environmental hygiene that may also reduce HAIs. Ultraviolet radiation
has been shown to help kill important bacteria like C. difficile and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) on high-touch surfaces. In the most recent issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, a study focused on the use of hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) as an effective way to sanitize the packaging of unused medical supplies, potentially reducing hospital costs. Every day, SHEA members are working to move the needle forward in efforts to prevent and control healthcare-associated infections. As we gather in Atlanta, our hope is to empower healthcare professionals with critical knowledge and resources in the fight against healthcare-associated infections and the role of the healthcare environment to create improved patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
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