A report by a senior infection prevention analyst at the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority provides five basic infection control best practices for ASCs.
The report, "Strategies to Fully Implement Infection Control Practices in Pennsylvania Ambulatory Surgical Facilities," provides guidance for outpatient surgery centers to implement infection control practices to improve patient safety and meet CMS conditions for coverage. The report describes five strategies to integrate infection control practices into ambulatory surgical facilities:
1. Implement surveillance techniques.
2. Follow sterilization and disinfection standards.
3. Integrate safe injection and point-of-care medical-device-use standards into clinical practice.
4. Require standardized education and training requirements.
5. Ensure strict environmental control practices.
Editor's note: This article was updated Sept. 5 to reflect a change in the report's title. In pre-publication form, the report was titled "Ambulatory Surgical Facilities: Strategies to Integrate Basic Infection Control Concepts into Clinical Practice."
More Articles on Infection Control:
Medical Students Think Antimicrobial Stewardship is Vital, Under-Taught
Study: Healthcare Workers Use Gloves Inappropriately 42% of the Time
Patient Safety Tool: Dialysis Station Routine Disinfection Checklist