Clear and consistent interpretation of manufacturers’ instructions for use (IFUs) by Infection Preventionists and sterile processing teams is not only critical for ensuring safe reprocessing cycles, it is a goal that is increasingly achievable with the aid of specific tools and mindsets.
At the 2025 Healthcare Sterile Processing Association Annual Conference, system infection preventionist, Garrett Hollembeak, underscored how the lack of aligned understanding of IFUs between these teams can compromise both safety and adherence to regulation. Hollembeak spotlighted the need for organizations to understand which IFUs they can realistically accommodate conforming to existing workflows, equipment, and documentation protocols. He proposed the usage of AI-based reconciliation platforms as tools that can streamline this understanding by comparing manufacturer requirements to the facility’s available reprocessing abilities.
Spotty interpretation of IFUs often results in the instructions being passed down to sterile processing teams without sufficient support, irrespective of their capacity to match every specification. This calls for an evaluation conducted in advance of new devices’ inclusion in service, setting forth the IFU criteria that should align with being actionable and auditable. Referring back to his own experience in the trenches, as an SPD manager and as an IP, Hollembeak praised conferences like HSPA’s since they stimulate professionals by featuring tried and tested problem-solving strategies.
Observing tangible, on-ground victories achieved by peers not only authenticates the challenges often faced on the frontlines but also arm the attendees with feasible solutions that they can take back to their respective facilities. At a time when the field of infection preventionists is constantly coping with substantial demands, it becomes important for them to replace self-judgment with grace and process their emotions with acceptance and compassion, not aiming for perfection.