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assume that we can continue to be more effective with better and better tools at our disposal .
HHM Teamwork involves collaboration and communication , which is notoriously challenging among some departments such as the OR and the SPD ; what ’ s your best advice for achieving this ?
Alison Sonstelie ( AS ): In addition to collaboration and communication , consistency is incredibly important . The standard of care when you ’ re reprocessing devices must be consistent and must be completed according to instructions and guidelines . If not , consequences and risk will without a doubt happen . Further , by constantly reviewing standards , setting expectations , providing education and developing additional tools and checklists as a department you will typically be able to mitigate obstacles or misunderstandings . When lives are at risk , transparent communication is key .
DB : My passion lies within bringing all technicians and departments together . I like to say that I ’ m “ hospital bilingual ” because I think it ’ s valuable for us to speak to one another even if we are in different silos and use unique terminology . By over-communicating and collaborating with one another , we can , hopefully , unite separate teams with one common goal in mind -- keeping patients safe . From my personal and professional experience in biomed , to facilities , to the floor side , I understand everyone ’ s workflow and pain points . Additionally , observation is a powerful tool to ensure quality assurance and teamwork . I ’ m known for communicating to clinical team members that we all must work as one to benefit patient care and while it ’ s still a hurdle to unite all departments , this is something I continuously practice in order to convey the bigger picture to everyone involved . Lastly , when things go wrong , communicate even more . If there is an environmental failure , wrong cycle , HLD failure or a risk assessment , loop the whole team in for a learning opportunity — don ’ t shy away from it . Then rectify any oversights immediately and get back to work .
HHM It is so critical for SPD and other end users to vet devices and equipment before purchase ; how can the stakeholders from SPD , purchasing , healthcare value analysis , patient safety / risk and infection prevention work together to ensure good outcomes ?
DJ : Everyone needs a seat at the table during the pre-purchase stage . This is where you can bring everyone together and discuss different considerations that may impact other silos involved . For example , if you ’ re contemplating purchasing a certain piece of equipment — what else should you consider ? Things like cost ; does it work with other pieces of equipment you already have in play ; does your team need extra education / training if it ’ s a new brand they aren ’ t familiar with ; if there was a chemical spill of
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The importance of all healthcare stakeholders stepping outside of their silos and working together to keep patients safe — especially relating to the risks posed by medical equipment , devices and instruments – cannot be overstated .
some sort , how would you clean it to ensure it ’ s safe , and the list goes on . When everyone is represented and has a say in these decisions , successful outcomes are inevitable .
DB : There is a lot to consider in pre-purchasing and purchasing stages . For example , one must think about time to clean a device , temperature constraints , storage capacity within a facility and weight limits for shelves , water quality for when cleaning and mixing certain solutions and so much more . Another principle I am motivated by to ensure good outcomes is investing in human capital , the people . We need to give processors the time to do their job properly . We live in an instant-gratification world and when you ’ re trying to keep people safe and healthy , rushing and cutting corners won ’ t help anything . We — sterile processors and infection preventionists — understand that there are doctors and patients waiting to have a procedure , but we need to empower these departments to have the time to clean what they need to clean in order to uphold standards .
HHM What is the relationship between IFUs , teamwork , and patient safety ?
DJ : The main common denominator between IFUs , teamwork and patient safety is just that — keeping patients safe and reducing healthcare acquired infections .
AS : As it relates to processing , IFUs , teamwork and patient safety are three foundational elements that make the department and overall healthcare ecosystem flow . You need IFUs to help you manage sterile processing properly . Processing is not a one-person job , it ’ s a team effort and that is the only way to keep patients safe . Process , products , safety measures and education must be in place before a new device is used . Critical steps to consider in processing that impact patient safety include point-of-use cleaning , soiled transport , cleaning , disinfection / sterilization , storage and clean transport .
HHM How can barriers to following IFUs be broken ?
DJ : The hospital leadership needs to give SPD departments the proper resources so the profession can achieve its objectives . These resources are needed throughout the medical device life cycle from decontamination through assembly through sterilization and storage . Computer systems designed for the SPD are practically becoming required to perform the complex tasks required .
DB : We must deploy a worldwide standardization process where every IFU is the same and held to the highest quality possible . These need to be easy to follow , accessible 24 / 7 and easy to update when there are changes and improvements implemented .