Articles
10 Questions to Ask Before You Stockpile
In the following pages, we intend to provide enough information for you to begin creating a stockpiling system that will accomplish those goals, whether the infectious outbreak risk is seasonal flu pandemic influenza a unique pathogen (such as Ebola virus). Before you begin stockpiling PPE, there are ten important questions
Dig Deeper Into Your GPO Relationship | Eight Tips to Maximize Your Contract
Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) are on the front lines of key health trends across the entire healthcare continuum. With this broad perspective, they are uniquely able to help healthcare providers confront many challenges. For instance, GPOs have helped their members with emergency preparedness, energy management, drug utilization management and value-based purchasing. Today
The Lesser Known Chemical Allergy from Gloves
Chemicals are a part of so many products, and those produced for healthcare environments are no different. Of the more than 4,000 environmental chemicals that have been identified as contact allergens, rubber glove chemicals are among the most frequent causes of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in healthcare workers. According to the CDC, contact
4 Things You Can Do Right Now to Get Ready for USP <800>
As of December 1, 2019, USP <800>, takes effect! These new guidelines are designed to reduce the risk of managing hazardous drugs and help reduce the risk to patients and healthcare workers. As a reminder, here's why it's so important to ensure your hospital is following the new USP <800>
Going Robotic Safely and Efficiently
If there is anything that we can count on in healthcare, it’s constant innovation. From new medicines to approaches to care delivery, the world of patient care is constantly evolving. One area where we have seen this in recent years is the increased use robotic-assisted surgery. Once seemingly something out
Don’t Slip Up: Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls to Keep Patients and Hospital Staff Safer
Slips, trips and falls (STFs) can happen anywhere, and hospitals are no exception. Whether in a patient room or an operating room, STFs are a potentially costly and largely preventable risk to both patients and hospital staff alike. Falls are of particular concern with patients over the age of 65,
Keeping an Eye Out: Protecting the Eyes of Healthcare Staff
The eyes are a gateway for infection to enter the body. So it is critical to protect your eyes, especially in environments where infection risks are present. In hospitals the risk for infection can be higher due to the chance of splatter from blood or other bodily fluids. According to
Sterilization Packaging: Assessing Risk and Taking Action
The thought of a non-sterile instrument being used during a medical procedure is enough to send chills down any patient’s…
The Hidden Factors Contributing to Patient Experience
In an ever-changing industry, one element that remains central in healthcare is the patient experience. According to data from Press Ganey, patient experience is five times more likely to influence brand loyalty than any marketing strategy, a critical consideration with the rise of consumerism and increasing competition in healthcare. Additionally,
First Things First: Protecting Emergency Responders from Fentanyl Exposure – Three Tips to Make First Responders Safer
The ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States is both alarming and dangerous, and perhaps no one understands that better than the first responders and law enforcement officials on the front lines of the crisis. Day in and day out, they respond to emergency calls and arrive on scenes where
Minimizing Cross-Contamination Risk – 4 tips to reduce the risk of cross-contamination
Hospitals are charged with the difficult task of accepting and treating sick patients while aiming to maintain an environment that prevents the spread of infection to other patients, staff and visitors. The task is not an easy one, and the risks are serious. If hospital staff don’t follow infection prevention
Cross Contamination
Unfortunately even with the best of intentions, healthcare workers do not always wash and disinfect their hands as often as they should. This less than perfect hand hygiene performance can pose a serious risk to patients because as stated by Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control