Military personnel, veterans, defense, and homeland security staff make up one of the largest groups of Americans under the same healthcare system — the US government. Given the sheer size of this group, minimizing the opportunity for HAI’s should be a top concern for military healthcare leaders. As outpatient sites and VA centers continue to serve medical and dental patients throughout the globe, it is critical to mitigate opportunities for pathogen spread. Military healthcare centers that implement a series of IP procedures followed by every member of the team have a clear advantage in preventing infection. Here is a checklist of critical considerations as the military healthcare system deploys infection prevention measures throughout its locations.
Bundle Manual Cleaning and Disinfection
The American Journal of Infection Control notes that combining UVC technology with manual cleaning is one of the most effective ways to significantly decrease the pool of harmful pathogens that cause infection. UVC exposure for a specific length of time and intensity increases the effectiveness of a military facility’s IP protocol by targeting and destroying pathogens that can potentially harm patients.
Select a System Specially Designed for Military Healthcare Environments
Select infection prevention tools’ usability and efficacy should align with the unique setup of their patient rooms, ORs, and other areas in which patients or staff convene. Not all environments are perfect rectangles so the best UVC systems address variables such as room shape and other obstacles that might affect how light hits every part of the room. Your UVC disinfection solution should provide ultra-fast and effective pathogen-killing power without having to be moved or positioned with each use.
Focus on Patient Care, Not System Maintenance
Make sure your UVC system is smart and can monitor bulb life cycle, required delivered dosage, and regular service so you can focus on other parts of your IP plan.
Demand Ultra-Fast Treatment Time
By reducing the pool of dangerous, deadly pathogens quickly and effectively, UVC technology empowers healthcare centers to return disinfected rooms and treatment areas back to service in a relatively short time. Faster turnaround means greater efficiency, a metric critical for the types and numbers of patients served within the military healthcare system. When evaluating UVC disinfection tools, a rapid cleaning time is a key to ensuring fast, effective IP. Look for a system that offers rapid 3+ Log10 reduction in 2 minutes or less and one that ensures this dosage is being delivered to targeted areas throughout a room.
Prioritize Ease-of-Use
While UVC technology is advanced, operating these systems shouldn’t be, especially if you want to ensure all surgical EV staff adheres to federal disinfection guidelines. Choose a UVC system that is user-friendly and straightforward to maximize compliance. Look for a system that’s design includes remote operation and monitoring, a clear indication of completed disinfection, and one that stores data on the office’s overall UVC protocol adherence.
Ensure Proof of Compliance is Feature
Your UVC systems should also measure, record, and report the UVC dosage delivered—in real-time—ensuring you have the proof of compliance data needed for potential audits and communication to patients. Critical information like date, time, operator, room number, cycle time, and delivered dose is captured to ensure delivery infection preventing UVC doses throughout the space.
The honorable Americans that serve and have served rely on military healthcare leaders to ensure their safety, especially when it comes to preventing infections. Learn more about how UVC disinfection can improve your military healthcare infection prevention efficacy. The Steriliz team can help you determine the right UVC solution that is best for your facility and work with you through every step of the process.
RD-UVC and RD-Fx: GS-07-F193-BA