7 minute read
Outbreak Response
from REP June 2020
ECRI Institute’s certified infection preventionists conduct on-site consultations, while ECRI staff of medical device engineers, epidemiologists, architects, accident and forensics specialists, and clinicians review findings and provide additional recommendations.
“For example, if we are onsite for an outbreak and the consultant suspects that the potential reservoir is medicaldevice related, we immediately call in the expertise of the clinical engineering staff in our Health Devices group,” said Davis. “That instant expertise advises us, in real time, about the nature of the device and potential mechanisms that would put the device at risk for being a causative factor. If we need an engineer or a medical forensics expert onsite (or any other expert), we fly them out to get the job done right the first time.”
Davis said the ECRI Infection Preventionists look at a variety of inputs to develop the gap analysis and action plans from (but not limited to): 1. Systems (physical and electronic) 2. Devices (medical and standard) 3. Mechanicals/plant engineering 4. Staffing 5. Workflow 6. Infection prevention program effectiveness
7. Data validation 8. Surveillance techniques (manual and electronic) 9. Epidemiologic data and analysis 10. Human factors/ergonomics 11. Cleaning and disinfection 12. Sterilization/high level disinfection 13. Environmental factors/industrial hygiene 14. Infection control risk assessment for construction (consultation, planning, program evaluation, onsite and online training) 15. Policy and procedure review 16. Implementation science 17. Infection forensics
“ECRI is basically a one-stop shop for infection prevention and control consultation and resources.”
ECRI has been updating its Coronavirus Outbreak Preparedness Center on a regular basis. The resources include very specific information on emergency preparedness supplies.
Outbreak Response
Preparedness is key for hospitals and health systems when responding to an infectious disease outbreak.
The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is not the first, nor
will it be the last, infectious disease outbreak to make global headlines. “There have been a number of outbreaks that have taught us that routine healthcare infection prevention is not enough when dealing with a novel infectious disease or an infection that has potential for causing a lot of morbidity and mortality,” said Jennifer Anne Hanrahan, DO, an infection disease specialist from the University of Toledo.
SARS, MERS-CoV, and Ebola have been transmitted in healthcare facilities, and preventing the spread of infection in hospitals is critical to containing these infections worldwide.
“These outbreaks have shown that emerging pathogen outbreaks can occur with little forewarning and cause disruption to hospitals and their ability to care for patients and keep healthcare workers safe,” Dr. Hanrahan said.
Being prepared
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) emphasizes the importance of supporting novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) preparedness efforts with rigorous commitment to infection prevention and science-based decision making. SHEA members – healthcare epidemiologists and other experts in infection prevention and infectious diseases working in collaboration with public health – are experienced in outbreak management, having overseen preparedness and management of 2019-nCoV, SARS, MERS-CoV, H1N1, influenza, and other infectious diseases, and are working diligently to ensure safety.
SHEA works closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and over the past several years has given particular focus and investment to strengthen the infection prevention and control infrastructure for preparedness and response to emerging pathogens. The SHEA/CDC Outbreak Response Training Program (ORTP), created from 2016 to 2018, is a comprehensive program for hospital epidemiologists to be maximally effective to protect their patients, colleagues, and community from facility-level outbreaks to emerging pathogens, such as 2019-nCoV. The ORTP provides expert-authored and selected resources in incident management, with tools and trainings for development and implementation of policies and identification of resources.
“The ORTP was developed to make sure that those working in infection prevention, specifically healthcare epidemiologists and infection preventionists, are knowledgeable in incident management and the structures, frameworks, and resources that help limit facility disruption, supplement resources, and prevent the spread of the pathogen,” said Hanrahan. “These outbreaks showed that education in incident management and preparation to work within an emergency response framework is essential stopping an emerging pathogen crisis.”
Being prepared takes time, Hanrahan said. “It can feel overwhelming when starting from scratch, and these tools help make preparation manageable.”
There are several different things that hospitals and healthcare workers have to think about in terms of their process for taking care of patients. For example, these
Identifying gaps
Both Ebola and SARS demonstrated that routine personal protective equipment was not sufficient to prevent infection in healthcare workers, said Jennifer Anne Hanrahan, DO, from the University of Toledo. “Learning how to don and doff the personal protective equipment properly takes time and practice and is specific to the type of equipment being used. Training is critical to properly donning and doffing PPE.”
A number of other issues have also been identified and these are outlined in the SHEA Expert Guidance: Outbreak Response and Incident Management: SHEA Guidance and Resources for Healthcare Epidemiologists in United States Acute-Care Hospitals https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2017.212
Tool kits: https://ortp.guidelinecentral.com
outbreaks have demonstrated that training in proper donning and doffing techniques for personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical in order to decrease risk of infection to healthcare workers and other patients, Hanrahan said. The ORTP guides healthcare workers in the components of preparedness and response, including successful implementation of policies, and provides quick, direct access to resources and tools selected by experts as the most important and useful. The ORTP was created so the experts tasked with preparedness and response can apply their expertise to stopping the outbreak, rather than spending precious time tracking down resources and navigating new or unpracticed roles.
“Every outbreak has taught us a little bit more and it is important to incorporate these lessons into future planning,” said Hanrahan.
For more information on the SHEA/CDC Outbreak Response Training Program (ORTP), visit https:// learningce.shea-online.org/content/sheacdc-outbreakresponse-training-program-ortp#group-tabs-nodecourse-default4.
The Value of Ride Days
Why ride days matter, and how to get the most out of them
The choices for products and services available in today’s physician offices are almost endless.
The same goes for distributor reps calling on these accounts. Between traditional selling and automation, distributor reps represent hundreds of thousands of products, combined with an almost 24/7 demand for answers and inquiries from current and prospective clients.
Distributor reps are being pulled in a 1,000 different directions. Can an extra hand, a manufacturer rep’s, be a difference maker?
A win/win partnership
Indeed, ride days, while less frequently used than in year’s past, can provide a tremendous amount of value to distributor reps. For instance, manufacturer reps can assist with “gap selling,” tracing reports from data to see exactly what products are being ordered, and opportunities for complimentary products and services that the customer may not have thought of to pair with their current purchases. Manufacturer reps can also help the customer save money while increasing GP for the rep by creating a formulary to standardize, and introduce new technologies, equipment, etc. – a win-win for all.
Perhaps the most important piece of the manufacturer-distributor ride-day is the opportunity to provide support. Manufacturer reps can focus their discussions on specific products to aid in better patient outcomes and can help educate the customer differently. They can offer an in-depth consultation, and that image of specialized support is a big positive for the distributor rep.
But today’s distributor sales reps have so many irons in the fire, and their time is so important, that devoting an entire day for a co-travel may seem like it would take away from other priorities. So, how can distributor and manufacturer reps make the most of their time together on a ride day, or even a half-day together? The following are some best practices.
No. 1 Set the tone. In order to have a successful day of co-travel, it is important to set the right expectations and communicate. ʯ Do you want your manufacturer partner along for a general day of calling on customers, or are there specific customers you want to visit who have specific needs? Either way, a good manufacturer rep is ready and willing to discuss opportunities with every customer. ʯ What are you trying to accomplish? ʯ What don’t you want your manufacturer rep to discuss with the customer?
No. 2 Get technical. Manufacturer reps provide an opportunity for your customer to have their more technical questions answered onsite.
No. 3 Utilize trust. Once you’ve built up a good rapport and trust with your manufacturer partners, let them go to work for you. Identify accounts that would benefit from a demo day where your manufacturer rep calls on the account and builds the business for both of you.
MedPro understands the advantages and efficiencies of distribution, especially when a customer is deciding to select, purchase and receive a product. Our experienced personnel enable us to work side by side with our distributor partners to develop new strategies that both support and enhance the customer experience. Our goal is to make the distributor rep’s job easier, protect and increase sales – all while supporting your distribution solutions.
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER
MedPro is a contracted sales organization representing industry leading manufacturers, supporting distribution for nearly 15 years.
MedPro understands the day-to-day challenges of the modern distributor rep. Representing world-class manufacturers in the non-acute space, we can help bring value to you and your customers.
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