PDI Offers New Whitepaper on Environmental Hygiene

PDI, an infection prevention products and education provider, has published a white paper in conjunction with Infection Control Today magazine to aid the infection preventionist in effectively adhering to environmental hygiene guidelines as well as understanding the on-site survey processes of accrediting agencies like the Joint Commission.

According to an informal poll on Infection Control Today in October, in relation to infection prevention, 69 percent of respondents said, at that moment, their facility either "needed some improvement" (52.2 percent) or would "be in big trouble" (16.98 percent), if a surveyor walked in. In addition, a recent survey by the "Clean Spaces Healthy Patients" initiative of Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and the Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE) found that around half of infection prevention and environmental services professionals find it difficult to locate useful resources about proper environmental hygiene practices.

"We understand the problems infection prevention leaders in a healthcare facility face every day; including a lack of time, staff compliance and resources," says Zachary Julius, president of PDI Healthcare. "We strive to be a partner for these IP champions and provide useful, convenient tools to help them and their fellow employees target zero healthcare-associated infections."

The Joint Commission is the largest accreditation agency in the United States and its Infection Control Program and National Patient Safety Goals place an emphasis on the prevention of infections.  For instance, National Patient Safety Goal No 7 (NPSG.07.03.01) states that hospitals must institute evidence-based practices in preventing a number of healthcare associated infections due to multidrug-resistance organisms (MDROs). To enforce these standards, the agency carries out unannounced surveys at 18- to 39-month intervals.