Standardizing central service and infection control work

Healthcare Purchasing News, Sept, 2003 by Lu Ann Sorrell

The primary goal of any infection control program is to reduce infection risk for patients, employees and others. Infection control shares this goal with those involved in reprocessing of patient care equipment and medical devices. Properly prepared equipment or medical devices are essential for reducing infection risk. Outbreaks related to contaminated equipment have been associated with process failures as a result of inadequate training, failure to follow manufacturer's recommendations or to implement recommended practices.

In general, central sterile processing is the core department responsible for the majority of items reprocessed. The primary function of a central processing department is to provide services ensuring that reusable medical devices and equipment are cleaned, disinfected or sterilized appropriately prior to use. The primary function of the receivers of these services, i.e. clinical departments, is to provide diagnostic, empiric or therapeutic interventions. In many hospitals, clinical departments like the operating room, endoscopy, anesthesia, respiratory care and radiology are also responsible for high level disinfection and sterilization procedures. No matter where items are reprocessed, there are universal procedures that should be followed to ensure that medical devices are safe and ready for use.

How can infection control and central processing work together to meet our common goal?

One way is to standardize processes, policies and procedures related to reprocessing throughout a facility or organization.

What steps are involved in standardizing?

* Commitment to standardization from those who are responsible for reprocessing.

* Reviewing the literature for applicable reprocessing standards, guidelines and regulations.

* Developing standardized protocols for reprocessing common equipment irrespective of where the procedures are performed. For example, the same bronchoscope cleaning procedure should be used by anesthesia, operating room and pulmonary lab.

* Developing standardized training programs for individuals responsible for reprocessing.

* Developing standardized competency programs that can be used generically by any department.

* Dividing the responsibility for developing protocols, competency assessment and training programs.

What are the benefits of standardizing?

* Staff gains an understanding about which departments are involved in reprocessing and the components of reprocessing performed in the various locations.

* Departments capitalize on the collective knowledge, expertise and skills of the individuals responsible for reprocessing for developing organizational protocols.

* An opportunity to identify methods of streamlining the number of departments reprocessing and redirecting the resources to central processing.

* Standardized procedures should lower the risk of process failures.

* Eliminating duplication of policies and procedures.

* Standardizing provides an opportunity to create allies instead of adversaries.

All healthcare organizations are challenged to reduce costs while at the same time improving patient outcomes. Working together for the common goal of reducing infection risk should he a priority. Standardization is one of the tools that can he used successfully to face these challenges. Infection control and central processing can take advantage of the opportunity to work together by facilitating and leading a successful standardization team.

Lu Ann Sorrell, BSN, CIC, is infection control coordinator at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC.