Faster Disinfection Means Increased Throughput
Optimizing patient throughput is essential to maintaining a well-operated healthcare center. Inefficient throughput leads to fewer patients getting the care they need along with a wasteful use of resources—which can lead to a net loss in revenue. While there are many strategies to optimize patient throughput, the critical role of speed in disinfection practices has taken on new meaning in the current climate since it is a key evaluation metric when implementing disinfection solutions. Disinfection time should be evaluated by how long it takes Environmental Services (EVS) staff to execute implemented protocols, the length in which said method takes to run effectively, and the amount of time required for any related procedures to be completed—such as tracking or reporting.
Controlling and managing the flow of patients in a busy hospital is one of the biggest challenges healthcare administrators face today. While more patients are good for your bottom line, you need the necessary tools to efficiently handle patient throughput while also utilizing the resources and assets of your organization in an effective manner. Addressing increasing patient demand with limited resources can be challenging, especially when disinfection requirements are added in. Therefore, good management and up-to-date technology can truly optimize inpatient throughput while not cutting corners when it comes to disinfection methods.
Selecting the Fastest Disinfection Method
Selecting the most comprehensive disinfection method is crucial to time. When selecting a method, you should perform an in-depth evaluation of the process as well as talk to both your EVS and Infection Prevention (IP) team regarding implementation. It is important to work with an IP partner that provides reporting of disinfection upon completion. This will allow you to see if your disinfection method is as optimized as it can be, thus saving time when reducing the spread of harmful pathogens which can slow turnaround.
How UVC Can Help Disinfect Faster
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. By utilizing proper dosage, specific UVC systems can reduce microorganisms while also measuring, recording, and reporting the necessary amount of UVC light delivered to targeted areas.
Disinfection takes time, but deploying the right UVC system can speed up the process by reducing harmful pathogens in a shorter time frame, which allows for room turnover to happen at a faster rate. As an adjunct to manual cleaning, it’s crucial to have a system that will deliver the right dose in the fastest treatment time. This can permit organizations to generate greater revenue through heightened patient turnaround, increased surgical procedures, and more emergency room visits and admissions. Implementing a UVC-based disinfection strategy is a cost-effective way to build on your hospital’s reputation, save money, and improve experience.
Using the right UVC system, compared to other systems, will help reduce treatment time. The cost savings result from a reduction in many factors: staffing time, disposable equipment costs, emergency room divert time, operating room case cancellations, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) penalties, among others. Furthermore, with UVC systems performing a large share of cleaning duties, your team can focus more greatly on tactics that will increase the rate of entry and discharge procedures.
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