Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/414825
When it comes to reducing the risk of postoperative surgical site infections (SSI), both healthcare providers and industry partners like the Clorox Professional Products Company are invested in improving patient compliance through evidence-based practices and behavioral science to enhance safe sur- gical outcomes. Recent evidence-based scientific and clinical studies support preoperative skin cleansing as part of a comprehensive strategy to prevent SSIs. i,ii,iii Cleansing with Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG) prior to surgery significantly reduces bac- terial counts on the skin as evidenced in a study of more than 700 patients who received two antiseptic showers prior to surgical procedures. iv However, the bene- fits of the protocol are reduced if the pre- scribed bathing regimen is not followed or if the product is used incorrectly by patients. Studies show that a major factor in patient noncompliance is poor under- standing of instructions, v which can be exacerbated by the complexity of prod- uct application and limited treatment tolerability. vi In a recent survey, 55 per- cent of nurses said they were only "somewhat confident" that patients were complying with CHG cleansing instruc- tions. vii Even the most comprehensive instruc- tions may not be clearly understood, so it is important to implement protocols to overcome these barriers. Actively engaging patients in infection prevention by arming them with the tools and information they need is criti- cal to improving adherence to preadmis- sion antiseptic showering regimens. The Clorox Healthcare 4% CHG Skin Cleansing Kit is an easy-to-use tool for reducing bacteria on the skin prior to surgery. Two single-use packs, attached via a perforated seal, contain the essen- tials for two pre-procedural CHG show- ers. The kit also encourages correct usage by giving patients everything they need in one convenient package, includ- ing a bilingual, waterproof instruction card with illustrations and easy-to-read text that can be taken into the shower. Recent studies have shown reminder- based interventions to be beneficial in driving compliance with short-term medications, viii and according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, ix the use of electronic reminders such as text messages, emails or voicemails are highly effective ways to get surgical patients to adhere to pread- mission antiseptic showering regimens known to help reduce the risk of SSIs. Patients using the Clorox Healthcare ™ 4% CHG Skin Cleansing Kit can sign up for a reminder system offered via email, text or voice message (available in English and Spanish) to help them remember how and when to cleanse prior to their scheduled procedure, view video instruc- tions for correct product usage online and/or take the illustrated instruction card into the shower for reference. As the science of infection prevention continues to evolve, we need to continue to identify practical interventions to improve implementation – empowering both frontline healthcare providers and patients as active participants in risk reduction strategies and behaviors that impact clinical outcomes.