Simplifying Patient and Clinician Safety With Technology
The need for rigorous infection control in healthcare isn’t a new discussion. Hospitals and clinics work hard every day to keep patients safe from hospital-associated infections (HAIs). During normal times when the health system isn’t facing a viral pandemic, about one in 25 hospital patients is diagnosed with an HAI, according to the CDC. That amounts to 1.7 million HAIs annually, and more than 98,000 deaths. The current pandemic has only reinforced the importance of infection prevention measures, not only to protect patients, but also to protect clinicians.
IT devices can contribute to the spread of infection
In many cases, technology has been brought into healthcare settings to simplify workflows for clinicians. But with this technology comes another potential source of infection transmission that may get overlooked. Clinicians touch many IT and Internet of Things (IoT) devices during their shifts, making these devices possible carriers of infection.
A survey of healthcare providers and clinicians by HIMSS found 43 percent of respondents’ organizations had no guidelines for sanitizing IT devices, and the problem was especially prevalent in smaller hospitals and clinics.
Yet this topic is more important now than ever. In hospitals, devices often reside in rooms that may be occupied by contagious patients. That means it’s especially critical that PCs and other devices are regularly cleaned and disinfected. Setting up clear protocols can help keep spaces safe and minimize the spread of disease.
Develop device sanitization protocols
Before you even get to cleaning and disinfecting procedures, establish rules for using devices. Touching computers, displays, multifunction printers, and other accessories with contaminated hands is a big problem, so everyone should wash their hands before touching devices.
You should also keep some general recommendations in mind to protect your technology:
- ● Use germicidal wipes that have been approved for use with your devices.
- ● Opt for presaturated wipes rather than spray disinfectants applied with a cloth, which can damage internal components of the device if they get inside.
- ● Avoid using paper towels that could scratch displays.
- ● Turn off equipment before cleaning to prevent electric shock.
Next, set up cleaning procedures for removing visible dirt before disinfection. Start by washing hands and donning gloves, and then use a cleaning wipe, water-dampened cloth, or microfiber cloth to wipe away dirt. Once the device is visibly clean, disinfect all exposed surfaces, including the display, accessories, control panel, and keyboard using an approved germicidal wipe. Make sure the wipe remains wet throughout the process and that the surfaces remain wet for the contact time specified by the germicidal wipe manufacturer.
In addition to following these basic instructions, clinics will want to set up roles, responsibilities, and schedules for device sanitization. In the past, once per day or per shift might have been adequate, but that frequency may need to change in light of current circumstances. Teams including Infection and Prevention Control, nursing, environmental services, and IT will likely need to coordinate and set up any necessary training.
Select hardware that’s easy to clean
One way to make sanitization simpler is to use devices in healthcare clinics designed for easy cleaning. Many older devices weren’t made to stand up to repeated disinfection. HP’s Healthcare Edition Portfolio, which includes all-in-one PCs, a notebook, clinical view displays, and other accessories, is designed to prevent the spread of infections in a healthcare environment, as well as streamline clinical workflows.
These devices can all be sanitized up to 10,000 times with the germicidal wipes used in healthcare settings, such as Clorox wipes. The keyboard also comes with a keyboard drape, which covers the keys while a person types and makes disinfecting easier and more effective.
Technology like this that’s purpose-built for healthcare increases safety for providers and their patients who may be exposed to infectious diseases. We may be dealing with increased levels of viral infection for quite some time, and technology choices that increase safety can make work simpler for our essential healthcare workers.
To learn more about the HP Healthcare Edition Portfolio, visit HP Healthcare Solutions.