Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) continue to be a major threat to patient safety, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributing the death of approximately 72,000 hospitalized patients to such infections. The unassuming stethoscope, often referred to as a clinician’s ‘third hand,’ can unknowingly become a conduit for these HAIs, including highly fatal ones like central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). Despite touching patients nearly 5 billion times a year in the U.S alone, stethoscope hygiene has, unfortunately, been an overlooked area.
Over the past decade, research consistently showed that these tools are often highly contaminated, transporting pathogens from one patient to another. To address this significant patient safety concern, medical association guidelines have been recently revisited and updated, and these changes have secured the CDC’s endorsement in their forthcoming guidelines.
AseptiScope’s DiskCover System is emerging as a promising answer to this pervasive problem. It is the pioneering touch-free stethoscope hygiene system that guarantees effective and safe usage of stethoscopes with FDA-approved disposable disk covers. The existing stethoscope disinfection practices face criticism for being unregulated, inconsistent, and substandard, largely because they rely on self-administered disinfection. These practices, therefore, are susceptible to human error and logistical impediments that hamper compliance. Alcohol wipes, among other commonly used ‘solutions’, are known for their limited efficacy, and enforcing their usage is unrealistic given the demanding schedules of healthcare professionals.
As a response to these shortcomings, new standards are pushing for the importance of stethoscope hygiene, at par with hand hygiene. These have been penned by the same team responsible for the hygiene guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside, professional organizations like the Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) have put forth their stethoscope hygiene regulations. By aligning stethoscope hygiene procedures with hand hygiene, healthcare providers are encouraging a culture of accountability for patient safety within healthcare institutions.
As patient safety standards evolve, incorporating these changes into hospital policies is crucial to avert both financial and regulatory ramifications. The emphasis on hand hygiene compliance amongst patient infection worries can soon pivot towards stethoscope hygiene. During instances of HAI outbreaks, regulatory bodies such as The Joint Commission will closely examine hygiene practices. With AORN’s guidelines serving as a blueprint, healthcare providers are moving towards establishing stethoscope hygiene as a norm.
The DiskCover System, designed by AseptiScope, is an invaluable tool in our fight against HAIs. An ICU in a Memphis hospital noted a substantial decline in CLABSIs after implementing this system. By providing simple, visible assurance of hygiene, the DiskCover System is not only preferred by clinicians and patients but its use also enhances patients’ experience. A touch-free barrier explicitly demonstrates that preventive measures are being taken, lending trust and assurance to patients, especially in a post-COVID world where awareness about germ transmission is heightened.
Health care providers’ responsibility towards patients extends to ensuring the cleanliness of every tool they use, including their ‘third hand.’ The DiskCover System proposes a seamless, cost-effective, and impactful solution that adheres to the new standard. With the advent of the first evidence-based template for stethoscope hygiene policy and procedure, these newly introduced standards can be promptly enforced. As Scott W. Mader, CEO of AseptiScope asserts, ‘It’s simple. It’s direct. We know what’s happening, we know it affects patient safety and we know the current limitations. And we have here a new technology that gets it done.’