Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Here's how to dramatically reduce your risk of spreading germs.

You and your employees come into contact with any number of patients who may be suffering from infections. Like any health care provider, everyone in your organization should take proper precautions against the spread of infection -- to protect not only patients, but yourself as well from falling short of regulations.

Stay on top of changes: Recently, the Joint Commission launched an update for 2009 to its National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs), which include improvements emanating from the Standards Improvement Initiative. These updates are in addition to the accrediting body's ongoing "Speak Up" program urging patients to become active participants in their healthcare. Patient infection control, though, is only half of the equation. How health care providers approach infection control is equally important.

The term "control" has recently become a secondary focus. "Infection prevention is the term we just launched at our annual conference in June," says nurse Janet Frain, 2008 president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). "That's the term we're trying to get people to move to. 'Control' sends a message of, 'OK, we have a problem, now control it.' Prevention is where we really want to put our emphasis -- before infection happens."

• Stay home if you're sick. Now that cold and flu season is is full swing, "Stay home," Frain orders, if you find yourself with a runny nose or temperature, so you're not spreading contagion to patients or coworkers. Furthermore, stay away from large groups during the flu season.

Good idea: Establish a policy that insists employees stay home when they are sick, even if they think they can easily perform their job duties.

• Wash your hands. Common sense the rule for both patients and providers when it comes to hand-washing. "Health care providers typically use the foam soaps, and a foam-in/foam-out strategy," Frain says. As a last resort if you don't have soap, scrubbing your hands under hot, running water is better than not washing at all.

"You don't need antibacterial soaps per se," Frain adds. "What you're doing when you wash your hands with soap and water is you're mechanically removing bugs. When you do foam-in, foam-out, you're killing what's on your hands, but what you're doing when you wash your hands is reducing the bio-load."

Do this: Frain recommends washing your hands both before and after eating, and, of course, after using the bathroom. During cold and flu season, go ahead and wash them periodically throughout the day.

• Stay immunized. "Make sure your employees have the appropriate immunizations to take care of patients," Frain says. "Make sure they've had their hepatitis B vaccine, for example." Immunizations for influenza are crucial for all health care workers, she adds.

Action plan: Keep a updated copy of employees' immunization records in their files. During performance reviews, take a moment to check the record to ensure all immunizations are up to date.

• Enlist your patients' help. "Educate your patients as to what their risks are, and focus on hand hygiene in your setting," Frain suggests. "That's the biggest 'take-home message.' Just like in your household, where one kid comes home with something and pretty soon everybody's got it. Typically, that's from touching stuff the child has touched. Things get transmitted that way."

The bottom line: With easy and regular infection prevention precautions in place for both sides of the health care setting, infections can be one less thing your staff and patients need to deal with while working together for optimal health.

Note: More information on the NPSGs is at www.jointcommission.org/PatientSafety/NationalPatientSafetyGoals/09_bhc_npsgs.htm. For more on infection control strategies, see "5 Things You Can Do To Prevent Infection" at www.jointcommission.org.