Surfaces Are a Key Component of Environmental Cleaning
A recent CDC report on reducing HAIs reinforced that surfaces are a key component of environmental cleaning. If your organization is going to tackle IP and bring HAI rates down, it is vital to come up with a surface-disinfection plan that is easy to implement, comprehensive, and effective. The key to efficacy in this area is monitoring your IP strategy and strict adherence to disinfection protocols.
According to the report, the following should be included in the protocols for IP monitoring:
- Who should do the monitoring – Read more about Empowering IP Champions
- What type of monitoring will be used
- How frequently the monitoring will occur
- How monitoring data will be validated – Check out this guide to UVC Disinfection for Hospitals
- Which rooms will be monitored
- Which surfaces will be assessed
- Methods for monitoring cleaning adherence and effectiveness in addition to direct observation – Learn why Evidence-Based IP Solutions are Critical
- Routine audits of adherence to cleaning and disinfection procedures – Hear from an IP leader on the 4 Ways to Improve Infection Prevention in Your Hospital
A powerful way to succeed at IP is to incorporate UVC disinfection into your plans. Exposure to UVC light for a specific length of time and intensity kills dangerous microorganisms. However, given the CDC’s report, it’s critical that your chosen UVC solution accurately measures the right lethal dose of pathogen-killing UV light on all surfaces of your ER and patient rooms. RD UVC is the only UVC disinfection system that measures, records and reports the UVC dosage delivered—in real-time—ensuring you have the proof of compliance data needed for potential government reporting and communication to patients. Critical information like date, time, operator, room number, cycle time and delivered UVC dose is captured to ensure proof of compliance throughout the environment being disinfected. The powerful, cloud-based reporting system provides accountability and compliance reporting.
