Human Factors Engineering: Barriers and Enablers of High-level Disinfection and Sterilization

Improper high-level disinfection (HLD) of medical devices and sterilization of surgical instruments can have devastating consequences. HLD/sterilization issues can lead to outbreaks of communicable diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis, and the transmission of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli (E. coli), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), salmonella, and Clostridium sordellii

Yet, sub-optimal sterilization and disinfection practices are relatively common issues found in healthcare. In surveys from 2016, The Joint Commission found that 51% of hospitals, 58% of critical access hospitals, 43% of ambulatory care facilities, and 53% of office-based surgery centers had at least one instance of non-compliance with Infection Prevention and Control (IC) Standard IC.02.02.01, Element of Performance (EP) 2.

During this webinar, ECRI experts in device management and infection prevention and control will explore the relationship between human factors and the reprocessing of patient diagnostic equipment and surgical instruments to maximize patient safety.

Learning Objectives

During this webinar, ECRI experts will:

• Describe the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) approach for evaluation of the work system
• Define human factor barriers and enablers identified through qualitative research which impact compliance with optimal high-level disinfection and sterilization processes
• Identify practical application opportunities and effective implementation practices
• Share lessons learned regarding implementation of best practices aimed at achieving optimal high-level disinfection and sterilization processes

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Jim Davis, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, HEM, CIC, FAPIC

Senior Infection Prevention & Patient Safety Analysts/Consultant, ECRI
Jim Davis has 25-plus years of nursing experience spanning long-term care, adult critical care, clinical decision support, education, nurse management, and infection prevention. He has designed version 2 of the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority’s long-term care healthcare acquired infection reporting system and analytics programs and has provided educational programs about infection control topics for risk management groups and patient safety organizations.

Amanda Sivek, PhD

Principal Project ECRI, Engineer I
Amanda Sivek, PhD, is a Senior Project Engineer in the Health Device group at ECRI. Since joining ECRI in August 2015, she has worked on topics relevant to the field of infection prevention and control, including the completion of laboratory evaluations of disinfection caps for needle free intravenous connectors, countertop ultraviolet disinfection systems for mobile devices, hand hygiene compliance monitoring systems, and hand hygiene observation apps. Dr. Sivek completed her PhD in Bioengineering and is an expert in in vitro and in vivo use of ventricular-assist devices (VADs); hemodynamics; and flow-induced blood damage. During her graduate studies, Dr. Sivek also worked as an Artificial Heart Biomedical Engineer at UPMC Presbyterian and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh assisting in the care of adult and pediatric patients implanted with VADs.

Joan N. Hebden RN, MS, CIC, FAPIC, FSHEA

IPC Consulting Group LLC, President
Joan received her baccalaureate and master’s degrees from the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She is currently the President of IPC Consulting Group LLC, a Maryland-based company providing infection prevention consultation in acute and non-acute healthcare settings and is a research coordinator for the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. She served as the Director of Infection Prevention and Control for 28 years at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. An accomplished practitioner, Ms. Hebden is an invited speaker at national epidemiology conferences, participates in research to identify best practices for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections, and has multiple publications in medical and infection control journals. She is certified in infection prevention and control through the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, is an active member of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiologists of America (SHEA) and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC), serves as a board member and reviewer for the American Journal of Infection Control and is a fellow of APIC and SHEA. She was the recipient of the 2018 SHEA Advanced Practice IP award.