Expert to Address Soft-Surface Contamination Risks at Medical World Americas Conference

To help educate medical professionals on soft-surface contamination risks, Kelly Reynolds, MSPH, PhD, researcher and associate professor in the College of Public Health at the University of Arizona, will present her research findings during the upcoming Medical World Americas Conference (April 28-30, 2014), which gives medical professionals from across the Americas a top-quality forum for addressing the issues and technologies that enhance patient care.

Reynolds has conducted extensive research on soft-surface contamination and will be presenting her findings during a presentation titled, “Soft Surface Decontamination” on Tuesday, April 29 at 1:45 p.m. She will present information regarding microbial contaminants of most concern in healthcare facilities, the potential for soft surface contamination and best practices for sanitizing soft surfaces.

In addition, Reynolds will also discuss findings from two surveys of healthcare professionals conducted by Clorox Healthcare on soft surface contamination.(1-2) These surveys were conducted online through Infection Control Today and onsite at the Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE) 2013 conference.

Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of healthcare professionals would be concerned about touching upholstered furniture if they were a patient visiting a hospital.(1)

Almost sixty percent (59 percent) of healthcare professionals would be concerned about touching privacy curtains if they were a patient visiting a hospital.(1)

Only one in five (21 percent) healthcare professionals say they clean soft surfaces as frequently as hard surfaces.(1)

Two in five (45 percent) AHE respondents clean or disinfect privacy curtains less than once a month.(2)

Half (50 percent) of AHE respondents say they lack the additional time needed to clean or disinfect soft surfaces.(2)

One in four (27 percent) healthcare professionals say they do not have the tools or products they need to safely and effectively clean soft surfaces.(2)

Nearly half (46 percent) of AHE respondents say their current cleaning supplies are not effective for disinfecting soft surfaces and one-third (33 percent) say that there are not product solutions available.(2)

References:
1. Online survey of 45 healthcare professional end-users, fielded through Infection Control Today, November 2013. 
2. Onsite survey of 84 AHE conference attendees, September 2013.