Hygienically Clean Connects Online with APIC
To expand access to information and research that accompany infection-prevention industry products and services, TRSA’s Hygienically Clean Healthcare program has joined the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) in launching Industry Perspectives, a new online platform for infection preventionists (IPs) and other healthcare professionals.
Industry Perspectivesexpands healthcare professionals’ and IPs’ clinical knowledge related to infection prevention product usage, the science supporting a specific methodology, and best practices to keep patients safe. The mobile-friendly web platform features information in a variety of formats including white papers, background articles, reports, research papers, case studies, product guides, PowerPoint presentations, videos, podcasts and educational session proceedings.
Hygienically Clean Healthcare’s first campaign on the site, “The Six C’s of Handling Soiled Linen in a Healthcare Environment,” provides a link for APIC members to receive a flash drive containing this TRSA training video for hospital staff and a related quiz and posters. The drive also contains PDF files that explain the Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification, emblematic of laundries’ commitment to third-party verification of their best management practices (processes) through plant inspection and quantification of laundered product cleanliness (outcome) through microbial testing.
A second campaign, “Handling Clean Linen in a Healthcare Environment,” will provide a white paper to APIC members on maximizing hygiene in linen-distribution practices. The white paper includes guidelines for hospitals to develop policies and procedures governing this function for training new staff members and monitoring and evaluating the linen-handling process. The paper observes that Hygienically Clean Healthcare represents textile services providers’ success in meeting standards that ensure medical facilities receive the healthcare textiles (HCTs) they need to operate safely. But once HCTs reach a facility’s doors, a launderers’ role in maintaining their hygiene is limited or nonexistent (unless the laundry’s service includes linen distribution).
“APIC’s mission is to create a safer world through prevention of infection. We are pleased to partner with our industry colleagues to offer this new resource to expand the knowledge base and competencies of infection preventionists,” said APIC Chief Executive Officer Katrina Crist, MBA, CAE. “Geared to the needs of busy healthcare professionals, Industry Perspectives provides easy access to evidence-based information related to infection prevention products and services to facilitate better understanding and evaluation of innovations in patient safety.”
Content provided by industry undergoes rigorous review by APIC subject-matter experts and is clearly identified as coming from healthcare companies. Topic areas include environmental infection prevention, hand hygiene, surveillance and screening, pre-operative prevention, decontamination and disinfection, technology, pathogens and care settings.