Reduce Contamination of Sterile Hand Towels in the Operating Theatre
Care Process & Redesign
National University Health System Quality Improvement
National University Health System
31 December 2019
Reduce contamination of sterile hand towels by providing non-sterile plastic clips to secure packaging. Plastic clips prevent packaging from folding, reducing contamination and ensuring sterility, thereby minimizing infection risks.
Year Submitted: 2019
Published Date: 31 December 2019
Tags: Care Process ＆ Redesign, Quality Improvement, Design Thinking, Productivity, Cost Saving, Risk Management, Preventive Approach, Value Based Care, Safe Care
About this Content
Aims
Reduce contamination of sterile hand towels by providing non-sterile plastic clips to secure packaging.
Background
Drafts from scrub room doors caused the packaging to fold over, contaminating sterile hand towels and increasing infection risk.
Methods
Used plastic clips to secure the sides of sterile hand towel packaging to the trolley, preventing folding and contamination.
Results
Reduced extra cost of sterile towels by $26.20/month. Cost savings of $24.20/month after implementing plastic clips.
Conclusion
Plastic clips prevent packaging from folding, reducing contamination and ensuring sterility, thereby minimizing infection risks.
Lessons Learnt
Simple and low-cost solutions such as plastic clips can effectively reduce contamination risks in operating theatres.
Additional Information
Cost of plastic clips: $2 (reusable). Total savings: $24.20/month.
Keywords
Sterile Towels, Contamination Prevention, Cost Savings, Surgical Infection
Innovators' Details
Innovators' Details
Healthcare Cluster(s) | National University Health System |
Organization(s) Involved | Ng Teng Fong General Hospital |
Platform(s) | National University Health System Quality Improvement |
Healthcare Professional Group(s) | Medical, Nursing |
Applicable Specialty or Discipline | Surgery, Infectious Diseases |
Project Lead(s) | Renita Sirisena |
Project Member(s) | Joanna Tan |
Connect with this contributor!
SNM Joyce Ong - joyce_ong@nuhs.edu.sg
Project Attachment
69_NTFGH_QM_2019_Reduce_Contamination_of_Sterile_Hand_Towels_in_the_Operating_Theatre_combine.pdf