and 72% in dry time compliance. Subsequent findings have shown
that we are holding steady at these new rates. We've now exceeded
the national benchmark, but our goal is to further improve. Our SSI
rates have, over the same time period, decreased, but it's unclear if
that decline correlates with our improved skin prepping compliance.
Moving forward, we will conduct formal audits every six months to
see how we're doing, but our commitment to raising skin prep and
dry time compliance rates is always top of mind. Our system is work-
ing, but we can't settle for "good enough" where SSIs are concerned.
The key to our success is to keep hammering our best practice proto-
col for skin prep home by reeducating, tracking compliance and rein-
forcing our process on an ongoing basis.
OSM
6 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0
Mr. Vallejo (rvallejo@choc.org) is clinical educator for perioperative services at
CHOC Children's Hospital in Orange, Calif.
