Reaping the Rewards of a Layered Approach

Author: Holly Montejano, MS, CIC, CPHQ, VA-BC

What comes of compliance monitoring and performance feedback when results are good? Sharing the successes resulting from patient satisfaction initiatives remain a vital component of performance improvement because it validates the WHY behind the intervention as well as enhances sustained practice.

One convenient way to capture performance and validate practice is the use of dashboards. Dashboards are not new to healthcare. This organized method for sharing metrics allows facilities to measure the impacts of performance improvement projects within their own facility, between facilities, and to compare to national performance measures. Dashboards also provide the metrics to celebrate trends over time and can often be found posted in unit break rooms as reminders to staff of a job well done. A benefit of the Tru-D device is the availability of a dashboard report showing compliance with device usage. The Tru-D portal provides real-time data including operator, cycle time, etc. which can be conveyed to staff that their efforts are not only working but are important to the cleaning and disinfection process. Celebrating the wins affirms to the frontline staff that they have impacted the healthcare environment and the service they provide in a positive way, while also showing the value they bring to the organization in the form of the care they provide.

Healthcare personnel work in a dynamic environment with constant competing priorities, staffing issues and overall fatigue, which can be detrimental to performance improvement. As we navigate healthcare during an ongoing pandemic, it remains imperative that processes are in place to ensure that there are no barriers impacting compliance. Human factors engineering, a high reliability organizational framework and internal accountability helps drive positive outcomes.

Cleaning and disinfection together with UVC technology form a layered approach. When paired together, it removes the guesswork from effective environmental cleaning and disinfection practice. While the importance of the EVS and IP partnership is paramount to a successful program, the focus on processes is reinforced with product compliance tools, performance monitoring and robust staff education. When manual disinfection is supplemented with UVC technology, this added layer bolsters disinfection outcomes. When teams can quantify compliance via dashboard reports, successes can be measured and wins celebrated. Now, more than ever, celebrating the challenging work of our frontline staff is critical for the success of a health care facility.

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