by Linda LybertPresident/ Healthcare Surfaces Expert, Founder/Executive Director Healthcare Surfaces Institute Privacy curtains must be addressed and as I talk with healthcare professionals about this issue I get mixed reactions. Digging deep into the issue the biggest problem is the amount of time and labor it takes to actually change the curtains out. "It is backbreaking and we don't have enough staff to actually do this on a regular basis." Every facility sets its own standards for changing privacy curtains and the responsibility lays with operations. Policies range from change when visibly soiled (NOTE: microbes can't be seen) to once a quarter and even once a year and any time in-between. As research continues to be published it is clear to mitigate the spread of infections solutions this must be part of a solutions bundle addressing all surfaces! See LinkedIn Post with full Study: Patient Privacy Curtains represent Infection Risk Linda Lybert is an amazing expert in healthcare surfaces. The same circumstances existed 20 yrs ago, but clinicians were properly trained & executed safety processes/avoided cross contamination; learning in school movement memory e.g. wash hands after closing curtains before touching patients, use elbows to open curtains to enter or push all the way open, etc. #1 issue - lack of clinical training, laziness, and inadequate adherence of movement memory for proper safety protocols. Rose Rohloff
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Rose Rohloff
6/5/2019 10:27:28 am
I also question all surfaces esp. blood pressure cuffs as housekeeping does not standardly clean them - how many used from patient to patient? Other things such as computer keyboards, touchscreen computers, carts, stethoscopes, communication devices staff wear, etc. So much cross contamination - Hospital acquired infections (HAI) are rampant from lazy processes, staff.
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October 2024
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