Touch Screens, Keyboards and Cross-Contamination Issues

Medical devices are incorporating a greater number of touch screens these days; applications for these devices include patient/visitor information kiosks, patient medical records systems, surveillance systems, med/surge monitors, as well as touch screen monitors that are quickly replacing standard keyboard applications. Infection prevention and environmental services professionals are including these touch screens on their list of high-touch surfaces that require regular cleaning, but just how contaminated are these items?

Medaris¹ reports that researchers at Purdue University found that although platen glass surfaces used in biometric devices (and similar to touch screens) may look unhygienic due to visible soil and fingerprints, they harbor about the same number of bacteria as a typical doorknob.

While biometric equipment is gaining popularity in a variety of applications, Medaris reports industries are finding that many users believe the devices are unsanitary and a potential source of germs that could cause illness. The Purdue study was conducted by researcher Christine Blomeke, industrial technology professor Stephen Elliott, and biological sciences lecturer Thomas Walter. “When you look at these devices, finger moisture, dirt and oils cause the surface to appear to be dirty,” Blomeke said. “In a study we did on this last year, more than a quarter of the participants indicated that they thought the devices were somewhat unsanitary. Since the use of biometric devices is rapidly expanding in public spaces, we felt it was important to examine whether touching these surfaces would subject users to more germs than they would be exposed to by touching objects such as pens, doorknobs and elevator buttons.”