Validated healthcare cleaning and sanitation practices

Abstract

A validated healthcare facility cleaning and sanitizing system provides a comprehensive and systematic approach to cleaning and sanitizing practices at a hospital or other healthcare facility. The validated hospital cleaning system identifies hospital vectors of contamination; that is, sources through which hospital acquired infections (HAIs) may be spread. The validated system defines a plurality of modules within a healthcare facility, each having an associated cleaning process map designed to meet the particular cleaning and/or sanitizing needs and challenges faced by that module. Various stages of the cleaning process map include validation points, at which certain parameters designed to ensure proper cleaning and/or sanitizing of the module are verified.

1 . A system comprising:
 a database that stores module data defining a plurality of modules within a healthcare facility and that stores a corresponding plurality of cleaning process maps, each of the plurality of cleaning process maps defining one or more high touch points to be cleaned for the corresponding one of the plurality of modules;   a computing device that receives, from at least one input device, collected data concerning whether the one or more high touch were cleaned;   an analysis application that, when executed by the computing device, analyzes the collected data;   a reporting application that, when executed by the computing device, generates reports that characterize the cleanliness of the healthcare facility based on the analysis of the collected data; and   a validation application that, when executed by a processor of the at least one input device, causes one or more screens to be presented on a user interface of the at least one input device through which a user may enter the collected data concerning whether the one or more high touch points associated with one of the plurality of modules were cleaned, and causes at least one of the reports to be presented on the user interface of the at least one input device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of cleaning process maps includes a target parameter specifying a disinfectant concentration. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the validation application further, when executed by the processor of the at least one input device, causes one or more screens to be presented on the user interface through which a user may enter data concerning at least one of patient room identification information and module identification information. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the validation application further, when executed by the processor of the at least one input device, causes one or more screens to be presented on the user interface through which a user may enter data concerning a dispensed disinfectant concentration. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the analysis application further determines whether the dispensed disinfectant concentration meets a target parameter for a minimum disinfectant concentration. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of modules within the healthcare facility include at least one of a patient room module, a critical care module, a central sterile processing module, an operating room module, a food service module, a bathroom module, or a laundry room module. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of modules include at least one of a patient skincare module, a wound cleansing module, or a hand hygiene module. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the plurality of modules is associated with a physical area of the healthcare facility. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the plurality of modules is associated with one or more functions carried out within the healthcare facility. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the collected data concerning whether the one or more high touch points were cleaned includes data concerning whether an indicator applied to one or more of the high touch points was disturbed. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the indicator includes at least one of a photoluminescent indicator or a chemiluminescent indicator. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the collected data concerning whether the one or more high touch points were cleaned includes data concerning whether an indicator applied to one or more of the high touch points was removed. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the plurality of cleaning process maps further includes a verification procedure, and wherein the verification procedure includes one of a titration procedure, a visual indicator procedure, a surface culture procedure, and a time-based monitoring procedure. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the verification procedure includes a frequency defining how often the verification procedure should be performed. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the collected data concerning whether the one or more high touch were cleaned further includes at least one of a bioluminescence reading and a chemiluminescence reading. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the collected data concerning whether the one or more high touch were cleaned further includes results of a microbial culture.