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keep in mind that the capital outlay for these systems will be sig-
nificant. Whether you decide to zap your ORs with light or fog
them with gas, here's how to cost-justify the purchase.
Getting results
Some investments might be a tough sell to value-analysis commit-
tees, but adding whole-room disinfection to help prevent infec-
tions shouldn't be one of them, says Joel Sklar, MD, chief medical
officer at Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae, Calif. "It's a
straightforward calculation," he explains. "Infections are very
expensive." There are the direct costs associated with prolonged
patient stays, the indirect costs of harming your facility's reputa-
tion and the potential negative impact reportable infections can
have on value-based reimbursements, says Dr. Sklar.
Capital committees tend to see whole-room disinfection as not
only a matter of patient safety, but also as one of effective cost con-
tainment. Although the capital outlay for such a system is signifi-
cant — a single disinfection robot can run more than $100,000,
depending on the vendor — consider that HAIs cost U.S. hospitals
in excess of $45 billion per year, according to CDC estimates.
Patients infected with C. diff increased hospitals' cost per case by
40%, or an average of $7,285, according to a 2015 study published in
the American Journal of Infection Control. These patients also
had a 55% longer length of stay and were 77% more likely to be
readmitted within 30 days. Such sobering statistics have helped
drive adoption of whole-room disinfection systems. A few exam-
ples:
• Upper Allegheny Health System acquired 3 whole-room disin-
fection units to serve 2 facilities: Olean (N.Y.) General Hospital and
Bradford (Pa.) Regional Medical Center. Raphael Moore, director of
Whole-Room Disinfection
