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Health care-associated infections pose a persistent and tremendous threat to patient safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they’ve claimed the lives of 72,000 hospitalized patients. The stethoscope, also known as a clinician’s “third hand,” can be a passive vector of HAIs, especially deadly ones like central line-associated bloodstream infections.
Despite the frequent use of stethoscopes in health care provision (touching patients about 5 billion times a year in the U.S.), their hygiene has largely been overlooked. Consistent data over the last decade shows that these medical devices are highly contaminated, transmitting pathogens between patients as a result. Medical association guidelines have recently been updated to address this important patient safety issue, and the CDC has also confirmed these changes in their forthcoming guidelines.
That’s where the DiskCover System by AseptiScope comes in. The first touch-free stethoscope hygiene system of its kind, the DiskCover System is an FDA-approved solution designed for the aseptic application of stethoscope disk covers, which ensure a robust and effective barrier for patient safety.
Many in the medical community consider stethoscope disinfection practices to be unregulated, inconsistent and inadequate. This is because self-administered disinfection has the inherent risk of human error and logistical drawbacks that exclude the possibility of compliance. Alcohol wipes and other similar “solutions” have limited efficacy, and enforcement is impractical due to the busy schedules of health care professionals.
New standards aim to make stethoscope hygiene as critical as hand hygiene, written by the same team that wrote the hygiene guidelines for the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, professional organizations like the Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses have issued their own standards of care for stethoscope hygiene between each patient encounter to integrate the disposable barrier solution into recommended practice.
By integrating stethoscope hygiene procedures that align with hand hygiene, health care providers are holding health care institutions accountable for patient safety. As new standards for patient safety evolve, health care providers say the integration of this shift into hospital policy are critical to avoid financial and regulatory consequences. Medical legal liability concerns for patient infections that focus on hand hygiene compliance can begin inquiring about standards for stethoscope hygiene compliance. Regulatory bodies like The Joint Commission will scrutinize hygiene practices when there are HAI outbreaks. AORN’s guidelines outline a reality in which health care providers institute stethoscope hygiene as the standard.
“I really see technology playing a huge role in our ability to resolve this challenge,” says Kathleen Vollman, a clinical nurse specialist and president of the World Federation of Critical Care Nurses. “Cleaning stethoscopes between patients has never worked because it can damage the stethoscope and is ineffective against many resistant pathogens.”
The new touch-free DiskCover System has already proven its role in impacting thousands of lives. One Memphis hospital that installed the system saw a significant decrease in CLABSIs — a class of preventable infections occurring in the U.S. 250,000 times per year, resulting in 28,000 deaths and billions of added dollars to the U.S. healthcare system every year, with an estimated cost of $48,000 per episode.
“The DiskCover System has made stethoscope cleanliness uncomplicated and transparent for our ICU,” says Naomi Ragsdale, a nurse and infection control expert at the hospital. “We are able to monitor usage and have peace of mind knowing the compliance of our staff is on par with our hygiene goals which in turn decreases the risk for a hospital-acquired infection.” This data was accepted for presentation this spring at the National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition, the world’s largest hospital nursing conference.
A recent study by The Cleveland Clinic demonstrated the results of aseptic stethoscope barriers through a controlled experience where researchers showed patients the application of three different hygiene variables: no hygiene, alcohol wipes and the DiskCover System. The results showed that clinicians and patients overwhelmingly preferred the DiskCover System for the visible assurance it provides and ease of use. In the post-COVID era, patients are alerted to germ transmission risks, and are reassured when they see visible indicators of infection protection. While traditional methods require patients’ trust in unseen actions, a touch-free barrier visibly shows that hygiene measures are being taken, enhancing patient experience.
Now with the first evidence-based template for stethoscope hygiene policy and procedure, developed and authored by three leading clinicians in three different disciplines, new standards can be immediately implemented. Hospitals nationwide can now use the DiskCover System with ease, and increased patient safety and compliance.
These shifts in standards of care make uncovered, unclean stethoscopes culpable vectors in the event of infections during health care delivery. As health care providers, the responsibility towards patients must extend to every tool they use, including their “third hand.” The DiskCover System offers a seamless, cost-effective, and impactful solution that complies with the new standard. As AseptiScope CEO Scott W. Mader adds, “It’s simple. It’s direct. We know what’s happening, we know it affects patient safety and we know the current limitations. And we have here a new technology that gets it done.”
The data is clear, the tools are available and the guidelines are here. . By embracing AseptiScope’s DiskCover System, health care institutions and clinicians everywhere can make stethoscope hygiene a new cornerstone of infection prevention and patient safety.
— Provided by Ascend Agency
The news and editorial staffs of the Chicago Tribune had no role in this post’s preparation.