The vast majority of healthcare facilities appear to recognize the fact that they are coming up short with some healthcare environmental hygiene (HEH) practices, according to a recent survey.
The research, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, found that 98 per cent of the healthcare facilities surveyed are not meeting the full guidelines offered by the World Health Organization (WHO).
HEH is an important component of infection prevention and control and involves the cleaning of hospital room surfaces It is reliant on multiple factors, such as adequate cleaning products and supplies, best practices and protocols, and training, education, quality control. Departments responsible for HEH face numerous challenges, including limited budgets, an unstable workforce, and a lack of access to safe and effective products.
The study surveyed 51 healthcare facilities from 35 countries on 39 questions evaluating the strengths, challenges, and improvements of their HEH programs.
50 out of the 51 were deficient in some or all of the five components of the WHO-recommended infection prevention and control improvement strategy. T
In addition, the survey found that:
- Seven in 10 (71 per cent) of respondents felt that their facility gave enough importance to HEH and 47 per cent felt that the budget allocated for cleaning and disinfection was adequate.
- Two-third (67 per cent) reported that necessary HEH products and supplies were always available, 27 per cent said they were sometimes available, and six per cent said they were never or rarely available. Among the 90 per cent that reported HEH equipment and supplies were available, 16 per cent could still not perform adequate sterilization because equipment was not in good working condition.
- Just over half reported that their protocols were based on best practices and updated regularly.
- Fewer than one in four (22 per cent) provided or required (if staff was outsourced) formal HEH training upon hiring, while 28 per cent did not provide or require any formal training at all.
The study researchers will use these findings to enhance a self-assessment tool to help facilities benchmark and improve their HEH.
“We were surprised to find that 98 per cent of the facilities participating in our survey were majorly lacking in one or more of the World Health Organization’s multimodal improvement strategies for infection prevention and control practices,” said Alexandra Peters, Ph.D., University of Geneva, Switzerland, a study author.
“This survey suggests that challenges with key components of healthcare environmental hygiene, including staff education and training, workplace culture, and access to adequate products and equipment, remain ubiquitous regardless of geography or income level. These results reinforce the need for a self-assessment tool to help health care facilities worldwide identify HEH challenges and necessary resources.”
