Check out Cleaning Tips For Your Medical Facility and Equipment, Part 1 and Part 2.

Now more than ever, it’s important for healthcare facilities to maintain the cleanliness and integrity of their equipment and space.

What are some ways you can combat the spread of infection in your medical facility? 

7. Ensure your medical trash bins are in the right condition for biohazardous materials. 

Depending on the type of care you’re providing, you could encounter fluids that require specific disposal: blood, spinal fluids, saliva, dialysis waste, amniotic fluids, lab cultures and specimens, and harsh medications such as chemotherapy drugs. Make sure your medical trash bins are properly labeled and show no signs of wear, such as cracks or chips. 

8. Support your OR cleaning team to ensure effective wipe downs and deep cleaning of all surfaces. 

With each piece of medical equipment you use, several factors often must be considered to ensure proper cleaning that reduces the risk of infection spreading. The type of disinfectant and best practices for maximum disinfection, as well as how often they should be cleaned, should not be a guessing game for your employees. Training and procedural guidance for rhythmic, deep cleaning of your medical equipment is critical to infection control. 

9. Maintain records and documentation to show you are compliant with the Joint Commission. 

Do you have a reporting system? If not, how do you prove that your equipment is regularly cleaned and disinfected? The Joint Commission looks for documentation to validate your cleaning processes and procedures. Maintaining records is vital to establish consistency and uniformity.

10. Make sure patients and employees see your equipment as pristine and clean. 

Sight alone can say a lot about the perceptions of cleanliness in your facility. If employees or patients don’t view your equipment as being clean, satisfaction rates may decrease. Regardless of data and science, mere perception is powerful enough to push patients away and produce unhappy employees. If patient satisfaction scores are low or employee morale could be better, check the environment around your OR and exam rooms. If the equipment is dirty or worn out, that’s a sign it’s time to do a deep clean and bring the shine back to your facility.

EquipSystems is here to help.

Often, healthcare facilities are unsure about who is truly accountable for infection control practices, policies and procedures. In such a busy environment, it can seem like no one has the time, the responsibility slips through the cracks or you lack the processes to bridge the gap with an equipment management program.

That’s why it’s a good idea to partner with a healthcare equipment management company that takes care of equipment cleaning, disinfecting, minor repairs, results testing and reporting. The right partner takes the burden of deep cleaning OR equipment off your hands completely.