Everyone who works in, or visits, or volunteers at a hospital knows that the more time you spend there, the more likely you are to pick up some bacteria or germs.
We’re currently living in the middle of a pandemic, which means that we are more aware than ever of the germs that could make us sick and how they spread.
Hospitals work hard to ensure that the whole facility has touchless devices such as touchless door openers, antibacterial hand gel dispensers, and even toilets. It’s the job of the hospital staff to reduce the number of “touchpoints” in a hospital as possible, which reduces the spread of disease.
The problem is that the germs that lurk in the hospitals and medical centers are those that are generally more dangerous than why you ended up in the hospital to begin with. When people move in and out of a hospital touching door handles, elevator buttons, parking validation machines and more, they are susceptible to germs at a higher level. We’ve just mentioned door handles being susceptible to germs, but it is important to note that door handles are the one to watch. Most hospitals and medical facilities are extending their use of touchless devices to doors and windows as an attempt to reduce the spread of germs in and out of the building.
There have been studies to show that door handles are vulnerable areas, showing the accumulation of bacteria after only 15 minutes of disinfection in a cafeteria. The bacteria numbers rise quickly in the study of the door handle close to the dining room. If this is how a door handle has multiplying bacteria by a dining room, imagine how high the numbers could be in a hospital?
Health-Associated Infections
Did you know that patients develop other infections while they are undergoing treatment for something else? These are called health-associated infections, and hundreds of millions of people contract these every year. These germs also affect hospital visitors, hospital workers and security staff – they are just as at risk of contracting or spreading these types of viruses. Of course, the right hygiene measures are important in any medical facility, and if you want to avoid HAIs in your facility, it’s important to take and educate on the appropriate hand hygiene measures as possible. There have been other studies by the CDC that reports that only 40% of healthcare workers will adhere to hand hygiene policies in their facilities. This figure is alarming and the spread of disease is not going to be slowed unless there is a reduction in contamination.
How To Reduce The Spread Of Germs
The goal here is to make sure that there are fewer points of contact in a medical or hospital facility. Healthcare providers spend a lot of time on training their staff to keep their hands clean and their spreading of germs to an absolute minimum. Where this isn’t working, it’s important to know where the gaps are in the system and how they can be fixed. For example, access points and door handles are some of the most vulnerable in the healthcare sector, and you’ll find them everywhere you go. To reduce the risk of germs spreading to all of these places, the tips below can help.
Sanitary Workflow Maintenance
Hospitals have surgery operating theaters and scrub rooms, and it’s in these that HAIs are a serious issue. Medical teams work hard to prepare for surgery so that they are sterile the whole time. They also ensure that they continue this practice when they clean up an operating theater and deal with patients in recovery. Aprons, masks, gloves and more are used to ensure that they maintain sanitary workflow. With touchless devices at the doors and faucets for the operating theaters, there is a simple way to not carry germs through to a vulnerable patient whether in theater or in recovery.
Trained Traffic
Touchless devices offer those who use specific, high-traffic doors the chance to get in and out smoothly. It becomes second nature to wave to the device and signal the door to open. The more people get used to this, the better.
A Durable Option
Touchless devices do not have to be touched, though they should still be regularly cleaned and be able to withstand a busy hospital and all it demands. Patient transport can often knock into things, so durable touchless devices are a must. It’s also important to use the right cleaning agents so as not to cause corrosion.
Easy To See
There is no point in having touchless devices if people can’t see them. Touchless devices at doors are very effective, but not if they are too small to be seen or heard. You can get touchless devices that have audible alerts to ensure that the door can be signaled easily by patients and visitors to the facility.
Touchless Zones
Some facilities require a smaller “touchless zone” so that people who want to use the door are going to be able to open it, but people just walking past the door won’t make the door open just by walking by. Touchless devices are very sensitive, and in a hospital the plates should have a short range to allow people to use them effectively.
The Takeaway
The most important thing to remember is that touchless devices on doors can remove the need to spread germs. If no one is going to touch the doors, there is much less of a risk of the germs spreading in and out of the facility. The vulnerable are better protected, and the commonly touched door handles have been removed as a risk. This is going to have an immediate effect on the health of those in and out of the hospital, and it’s so important to keep a medical facility safeguarded. Touchless devices being installed in your facility is the best way to do this. There’s no longer a need to worry about spreading germs in a hospital any more than necessary when you have the right touchless devices in place.