When was the last time you observed a healthcare worker
(HCW) making notes in a patient’s chart using good old pen and paper on a
clipboard? Personally, I can’t remember
the last time I encountered this.
However, if I were to ask when was the last time that you observed a HCW
utilizing a smart phone, tablet PC or portable computer workstation at a
patient’s bedside, I’m certain most of you would indicate that this is
something much more common in today’s healthcare environment. Fact is, electronic devices such as smart
phones, tablets and portable computers have become increasingly important tools
for the delivery of healthcare services.
Not surprisingly, many of these items are subsequently at risk of
becoming contaminated and acting as a source for the transmission of
microorganisms.
such as CHICA-CANADA (Community and Hospital Infection Control Association)
have recognized the proliferation of electronic device use and have done their
part to establish guidelines and publish their recommendations for electronic devices in healthcare settings. Needless
to say, hand hygiene continues to be the most important factor for preventing
the transmission of microorganisms and contamination of the device itself. Patrick Boshell of Deb spoke to this in his
recent blog titled, “Your Mobile Phone is Dirtier Than You Think”. By diligently following the WHO’s 5 Moments
of Hand Hygiene a HCW is most likely to prevent the contamination of the device
and reduce the potential transmission of any microorganisms that may be lurking
on the shiny touchscreen.
with hand hygiene, the remainder of CHICA-Canada’s recommendations are centered
around the act of effectively cleaning and disinfecting the device itself and
ensuring that the device is accompanied by clear instructions on how to do
so. Which brings us to some of the
questions that have inundated my email inbox over the past 18-24 months, “How
do we clean our iPads?”, “Is this disinfectant approved for use on iPhone or
Blackberry?”...etc. In fact, in the
course of writing this blog I have received just such an inquiry from an
Infection Preventionist at a prominent Boston area facility. Boy, do I wish I had an easy answer for her
and everyone else that poses these questions.
Unfortunately, many of these devices were simply not developed with
their healthcare use in mind and therefore they are not accompanied with
cleaning and disinfection directions nor a list of approved disinfectants. Until the manufacturers of these commonly
used electronic devices recognize the importance of validating cleaning and
disinfection procedures and the chemical solutions utilized, healthcare
end-users will be required to perform their own risk assessments to determine a
solution for the situation. In other
words, are there means to mitigate the risk of transmission without having to
clean the device? Or, can the healthcare
facility make a simple judgement call that the risk of not cleaning the device
far out-weighs the risk of damaging the device with long-term use of cleaning
and disinfectant solutions?
