The PIDAC Best Practice document has been updated!
PIDAC is the Provincial Infectious Disease Advisory Committee which is a part of Public Health Ontario. They put forth the recommended best practices for environmental cleaning for prevention and control of infections in all health care settings. The newest edition of the document was released in April 2018 – and has several updates since the previous version which was released in May 2012!
Although this document relates directly to the province of Ontario, it is widely regarded across Canada.
One of the biggest updates of the article was the focus on privacy curtains:
Use of privacy curtains with antimicrobial properties has not been proven to reduce infection risk and does not eliminate the risk of contamination with microorganisms.105
Although it is recognized that changing cloth privacy curtains frequently is challenging, it does not make sense to clean and disinfect all room surfaces at patient/resident discharge while leaving contaminated cloth privacy curtains in place.
Cloth privacy curtains used for all patients/residents should be changed following discharge or
transfer of the patient/resident and before a new patient/resident is admitted to that room or
bed space.
For patients/residents with extended stays, health care facilities should consider changing
privacy curtains regularly (e.g., monthly).109
WHO IS AFFECTED?
Privacy curtains have been the headache for many groups across healthcare facilities for years.
Groups that have pain points associated with privacy curtains tend to be:
- Occupational health and safety
- Infection prevention and control
- Environmental services
WHAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED BY THESE GROUPS?
To take curtains down and put them up is truly labour intensive and time consuming – making the whole process completely daunting. Things to consider:
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Ladder safety – what are your facility’s safety protocols?
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Laundry program – is your facility set up with your laundry (on or off premise) to keep up with the recommended wash consistency?
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Staff training – how can you ensure your staff is trained and has the help they need to ensure best practices are being met?
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Privacy curtain system- Would a refresh of your privacy curtain system provide a solution? Many companies are coming out with user friendly systems that will make headaches disappear!
WHAT CHANGES CAN YOU MAKE TO MEET THESE NEW PIDAC RECOMMENDATIONS?
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Get familiar with the safety protocols for staff on ladders
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Talk to your laundry provider and see if they offer a privacy curtain program
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Put together a schedule to improve panel change with your staff so everyone is on the same page and has the same expectations
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Explore the new technologies of privacy curtains – one solution may be On the Right Track offered by MIP. Oftentimes, there are options for budgeting and implementing the system across your facility in a manageable manner.
Click for more information on PIDAC and best practice documents.
Written by Megan Clarke
Brand Manager at MIP Inc.
