With all its benefits, however, patient privacy tends to fall short when it comes to infection prevention and control standards. The typical cleaning, sanitation, or disinfection processes designed to reduce infection risk in the hospital room tend to address equipment and most high-touch surfaces around the patient but often neglect the patient privacy surfaces.

According to a WHO global report on infection prevention and control, “out of every 100 patients in acute-care hospitals, seven patients in high-income countries and 15 patients in low- and middle-income countries will acquire at least one health care-associated infection (HAI) during their hospital stay.” When this rate of infection is coupled with the CDC’s reported costs of treating patients with HAIs, the need to address contamination risks around the patient becomes urgent.

Better alignment of patient privacy solutions with infection prevention guidelines will improve patient safety, satisfaction, and outcomes, as well as staff safety, efficiency, and ability to adapt to changing care requirements.

Let’s explore five essential questions that hospital teams should consider to achieve better alignment between patient privacy solutions and infection prevention initiatives.

Question 1: How is your department using patient privacy?

Most hospitals in the US employ the use of cloth curtains, disposable curtains, or fabric screens for patient privacy. They are commonly found in any private or multi-patient room; however, they may also be used for privacy in waiting areas, hallways, lactation rooms, or staff break rooms.

Consider who enters your department—patients, guests, nurses, facility staff—and how they are interacting with your privacy solution. Consider each step of the patient’s experience, from when they first check-in to when they are discharged, and where they may need privacy. Also, consider staff workflows as they move throughout your department, perform their tasks, and interact with patients.

Thinking critically about these things will help you better understand how your existing privacy solution is used, who touches it, and new opportunities to create a more private patient experience. It may also uncover areas where cleanliness and infection control need to be prioritized.

Question 2: What is your process for cleaning and replacing your privacy solution?

It is essential to have a straightforward process for cleaning your patient privacy solution to ensure that it is adequately sanitized. A privacy solution should be considered a high-touch surface because patients and staff are frequently handling it, therefore, it’s important to apply the same rules and protocols that are established for other clean surfaces elsewhere in the room.

There are several options for cleaning high-touch surfaces, including soap and water, sanitary wipes, bleach, and ultraviolet light. Unfortunately, cloth and disposable curtains usually cannot be cleaned by these methods and, therefore, often get neglected. In fact, a recent white paper developed by a curtain manufacturer states that cloth curtains should be laundered every six months, while disposable curtains should be replaced every three months.

Solid privacy screens offer an effective alternative to cloth privacy curtains. Silentia privacy screens, for example, are designed with specific touchpoints and surfaces that can be cleaned with any disinfectant typically used in the healthcare setting. This enables healthcare teams to clean them as frequently as any other high-touch surfaces, keeping the entire patient area clean.

When it comes to a patient privacy solution, it is important to choose a method that can be effectively and efficiently cleaned that is also safe for patients, staff, and the environment. 

Question 3: How is your privacy solution impacting your budget?

When incorporating an infection control-friendly patient privacy solution, it is important to understand the long-term impact on your budget. Consider the total cost of ownership associated with using your current solution: laundering costs, disposal/incineration costs, new/replacement materials costs, labor costs, costs to displace a patient during room cleaning, and costs associated with adverse effects on patient recovery.

Hard surface privacy screens virtually eliminate these costs because they don’t need to be removed and laundered, they can be cleaned in the room with materials that are already being used to clean other surfaces. Silentia privacy screens are proven to last longer than 10 years and typically provide a return on the initial purchase investment in as little as two years.

In addition to reduced cleaning, operating and materials costs, Silentia screens reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and any associated costs that can significantly impact a budget. By carefully considering these factors, you can ensure that your patient privacy solution aligns with your infection prevention initiatives while maximizing your budget’s efficiency.

Question 4: How is your privacy solution impacting quality of care?

The patient privacy solution you choose significantly impacts the quality of patient care. As discussed previously, a clean and hygienic solution can reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections. This is important because it helps ensure that patients receive care in a safe and comfortable environment, a main contributor to quality of care.

Another factor of quality of care is the consideration of how the patient perceives the care area. It should convey cleanliness, safety, comfort, aesthetics, and attention to detail to create a positive feeling toward the level of care being received.

Consider, too, your staff’s ability to deliver quality care in an efficient manner. A privacy solution should be functional, stable, durable, and easy to use to give staff the ability to deliver treatment quickly and effectively.

Question 5: What is your long-term solution for patient privacy and infection control?

Historically, patient privacy products have not offered a long-term solution, designed to be discarded and replaced hundreds of times over. As hospitals move toward more sustainable solutions, the products they use must follow suite.

A long-term or future-proof solution is one product or system that adapts to ongoing and changing needs while consistently serving its purpose.

Qualities of a future-proof privacy solution:

• Easily adapts to changing infection prevention and control requirements
• Withstands daily use and maintains its quality over time
• Offers easy repairs or replacement parts
• Can be relocated and reconfigured as a department renovates or moves
• Offers long-term sustainability and resource efficiency

By thinking more critically about how aligning patient privacy and infection control can impact patient care, you can improve patient outcomes, better support your staff, improve safety, and reduce costs.

Silentia is committed to being a partner in patient privacy and infection prevention. To learn more about the Silentia screen system explore our virtual design tool, EasyScreenDesign, or contact us today for a free demonstration.

This article was written by Kayla Graves, Regional Sales Manager, Southern TX, at Silentia, Inc.

In the US, when it comes to high-touch surfaces and cleaning protocols, cloth curtains often get overlooked. This comes at a cost, both financially and in loss of life, as it puts patients and staff at unnecessary risk. Fortunately, hospitals in the US can learn from the examples being set in Europe and elsewhere around the world, where more modern healthcare systems are implementing alternatives to curtains to adapt and protect their patients.

Infection rates reveal plenty of room for improvement

The US hospital system is one of the largest in the world and continues to grow, and hospital data and infection rates reveal obvious room for improvement. According to data from the American Hospital Association, there are 6,090 hospitals in the US, which see a total of 36,241,815 admissions per year. The CDC’s Winnable Battles Report, shows that 1 in 25 U.S. hospital patients were diagnosed with at least one hospital-related infection, and that between 2019 and 2020, there were significant increases in VRE (35%), CLABSI (24%), MRSA (15%). As a result, the direct cost to US hospitals from HAI transmissions ranges up to $45 billion.

Privacy curtains are a pathogen breading ground

The National Institute of Health released a report discussing curtains as a potentially important site of bacterial contamination in hospitals. They conducted a three-week study of patient privacy curtains where swabs were taken on the curtains’ leading-edge twice weekly. Twelve of 13 curtains (92%) of the curtains showed contamination within one week. Forty-one of 43 (95%) curtains were contaminated at least once. Of the 43 contaminated curtains, 21% were positive for MRSA, 42% were infected with VRE.

Additionally, the American Journal of Infection Control reported a study that found that 37% of hospitals facilities launder privacy curtains only when they are visibly soiled. These contaminated surfaces undermine the efforts to control HAIs.

Denmark

Denmark has emerged as Europe’s leader in the shift away from hospital curtains. The Danish health authorities, who refer to curtains as “reservoirs of infection,” have developed documentation as a standard for hospitals that outlines the hygiene issues with curtains, including possible contamination by people who have been colonized or infected with microorganisms, including MRSA, VRE, c. difficile, Acinetobacter, norovirus, and mycobacterium tuberculosis. As a result, textile curtains in patient rooms are no longer recommended and Danish regulations now encourage all new or renovated hospitals to use hard surface patient privacy screens.

In 2012, Odense University Hospital performed a trial that tested Silentia folding privacy screens against textile curtains. The evaluation consisted of a range of performance categories, including hygiene, functionality, stability and durability. Feedback showed that the screens were an overall improvement to care and the health care team decided to implement them as a permanent solution.

In 2014, Glostrup Hospital, now called Rigshospitalet Glostrup, installed more than 100 hygienic Silentia folding screens in 11 wards. Then, in 2015, as part of an effort to combat hospital infections, Nykøbing F. Sygehus became the shining example of full adoption as the first hospital in Denmark to replace all its curtains with Silentia folding screens in every department.

Sweden

In Sweden, hospitals are universally recommended against using curtains. New hospital construction or renovation projects no longer recommend curtains as a solution for patient privacy. In 2015, once pointed out that fabric patient curtains were not suitable for maintaining hospital hygiene, the management at Kalmar County Hospital decided to equip the hospital with Silentia folding screens.

Switzerland

Switzerland has adopted recommendations for replacing curtains depending upon needs, requirements, and other factors at each individual hospital. After a three-year evaluation of the folding screens, the Riviera-Chablais Hospital on the Swiss Rivera was the first Swiss hospital to replace patient curtains with Silentia folding screens.

A hopeful future for US hospitals

Many US hospitals have experienced the benefits of solid-surface screens that are easy to clean and disinfect, saving money, time and resources. For over six years, Silentia has helped hundreds of hospitals go curtain-free, from individual patient rooms to entire departments.

Silentia screens can be cleaned with materials and chemicals already used in hospitals, without being removed from the room and sent to the laundry. They don’t require a team or third-party service to remove, install, and transport to an off-site laundry service, as is required with patient privacy curtains, resulting in lower time and cost for room turnover. While the initial cost may be more than that of curtains, there is little additional expense over the life of the screens.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a severe problem in healthcare facilities and studies show that the bacteria that cause these infections are often harbored in the patient privacy curtains. The use of Silentia screens can significantly reduce the incidence of HAIs, evidenced by the growing adoption we see across Europe and elsewhere around the world. It’s only a matter of time and the ability to raise awareness that a practical, modern solution for a safer environment for patients and staff exists.

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