Q&A: Endoscope Tracking Needs to be Modernized

Video

Too often the tracking of the use and disinfection is done with pen and paper. That's what leads to problems, says Michael Cousin.

In a recent interview with Infection Control Today®, Linda Spaulding, RN, BC, CIC, CHEC, CHOP, argued that infection preventionists need to get more involved in the endoscope cleaning process. Spaulding, a member of ICT®’s Editorial Advisory Board, says that she’s “gone in to do accreditation for hospitals where they didn’t even track their scopes. They didn’t know what scope was used on what patient or…that a particular scope kept breaking down. And that’s the same one they kept sending out, because their tracking programs just aren’t there.” Michael Cousin, the founder of a company called Sympliant, couldn’t agree more with Spaulding. There’s something amiss with the tracking of the use and cleaning of endoscopes. Cousin believes that the problem lies with something that has been dogging the provider side of health care for decades: Too much is still recorded with pen and paper. Meanwhile, before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, endoscopic procedures had been rising anywhere from 2.5% to 3% a year, he says. “You’ve got a certain amount of space, a certain number of staff, a certain amount of equipment,” Cousin tells ICT®. “But every year, the number of surgeries go up and up and up. You end up with a situation where there’s increased pressure on the health care professionals who are who asked to deliver this care.” Cousin believes that the answer to the problem is to use a “web enabled platform” to monitor all phases of endoscope use. This would help take the pressure off health care professionals and lead to much better outcomes, Cousin believes.

Recent Videos
Meet the Infection Control Today Editorial Advisory Board Members: Priya Pandya-Orozco, DNP, MSN, RN, PHN, CIC.
DEBORAH BIRX, MD, is a retired Army Colonel and Global Ambassador to 3 US presidents, Birx has over 40 years of experience fighting global pandemics. Her research and work have been credited with saving over 22 million lives in Africa through the PEPFAR program, and she has authored over 200 academic publications.
Andrea Flinchum, 2024 president of the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc (CBIC) explains the AL-CIP Certification at APIC24
Antimicrobial Resistance (Adobe Stock unknown)
Infection Control Today and Contagion are collaborating for Rare Disease Month.
Infection Control Today Topic of the Month: Mental Health
Infection Control Today's topic of the month: Mental Health
Infection Control Today Topic of the Month: Mental Health
Mindful MD: 6 Ways Mindfulness Restores Your Autonomy and Cures Healthcare Burnout  (Photo credit: Tori Whitacre Martonicz)
Related Content