Antimicrobials: Healthcare's Silver Bullet Against HAIs?

“Architectural hardware products with our MicroShield coating are a perfect compliment to the hand hygiene and environmental services protocols currently applied by hospitals across the country,” says Robert R. Tibbling, director of business development for healthcare and public facilities at ASSA ABLOY. “We know that compliance to protocols is relatively low. A silver-based antimicrobial coating continuously inhibits the growth of bacteria and viruses and can be applied in high-touch areas of a hospital where the potential for cross-contamination is high. The antimicrobial technology is another tool in the fight against HAIs.”

While the antimicrobial properties of treated hardware may be enticing to hospital administrators, costs may be a concern. “A realistic way to think about the cost-benefit equation is this — compare the cost of a single HAI to the additional price of the coating (about 5 percent or less of the total price of the architectural hardware item),” Tibbling says. “In addition, a clinician should consider the changes in reimbursement for HAI-related procedures, specifically the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ ruling on “never events” and the non-reimbursement for HAIs starting in October, as well as the potential harm to a hospital’s reputation over HAIs.”