Medical Construction & Design

JAN-FEB 2015

Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.

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To minimize contact with highly contaminated hardware such as doorways to soiled equipment rooms, healthcare facilities need to budget for motion-controlled hands-free door openers at key locations. published in Healthcare Environments and Research Design indicates a serious need to design for "no touch" and for the specifi cation of materials that are easily cleaned per facility protocols. Moving forward from this research, manufacturers are designing for easy access to sanitation wipes, similar to the hotel accommodations for Kleenex boxes near sinks. Key work surfaces, such as areas adjacent to sinks, in med-prep areas, anywhere where clinicians need a sterile surface, they can fi nd hospital-grade surface wipes. The design challenge is how to package and place them to optimize use. Infection prevention protocols and best practices are not just the responsibility of clinical staf , maintenance staf has a huge role to play in keeping spaces and equipment sanitized. Specifying easily cleaned equipment, fl ooring and hardware which meets chemical com- patibility with facility cleaning agents makes maintenance easier, as does minimizing or avoiding the use of upholstered furniture in pa- tient areas. Nonetheless, there are issues associated with sanitizing surfaces. While there are numerous studies documenting the importance of mechanical action and thoroughness in cleaning, there are no standardized measures or established cleaning protocols regarding the specifi c quantity of rubbing cycles required for proper surface disinfection. Early coordination with maintenance and operations can inform material specifi cation for sanitation and infection transmission prevention. While the recent Ebola scare put the general public on alert, the healthcare community is continually pursuing more ef ective ways to control infections. For medical planners and healthcare architects taking a holistic view of the facility planning process from initial programming to specifi cation and post occupancy, research studies provide the design team and its clinical and operational collaborators with the multiple opportunities to improve prevention. Organizations including the CDC, ASTM International and the Facility Guideline Institute regularly provide updated information on protocols, best practices and standards. The challenge is daunting but dedicated, multidiscipline teams are responding with rigor and ingenuity. Laurie Waggener, RRT, IIDA, A AHID, EDAC, is WHR's research and evidence-based design director. She is a participating member of the Health Guidelines Revision Committee for the Facility Guidelines Institute. 1.800.428.4065 TOLL FREE www.willoughby-ind.com 5(9,7ÀOHVDYDLODEOHDWRXUZHEVLWH %DULDWULF+HDOWKFDUH/DYDWRU\ %HKDYLRUDO+HDOWKFDUH/DYDWRU\ ,QIHFWLRQ&RQWURO;/DYDWRU\ Three New Healthcare Lavatories to Meet Your Needs © 2014 Willoughby Industries Inc. t or i es t o M ee t Y our N ee d s &RQFHLYHG; WRPLQLPL]H OLJDWXUH SRLQWVIRU EHKDYLRUDO KHDOWKFDUH HQYLURQPHQWV 'HVLJQHG VSHFLÀFDOO\WR PLQLPL]H VSODVKLQJDQG UHGXFH WKHVSUHDG RILQIHFWLRXV GLVHDVH (QJLQHHUHGZLWK DOE ZHLJKWUDWLQJ DQGVSHFLÀF IHDWXUHVIRU EDULDWULF SDWLHQWVLQ KHDOWKFDUH HQYLURQPHQWV %+6 :%/ :,&6 MCDM AG.COM | JA N UA RY/ F EBRUA RY 2015 | Medical Construction & Design 29

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