By Kyle J. Russell

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) pose a persistent and tremendous threat to patient safety, having claimed 72,000 patients during their hospitalization according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The stethoscope, known as a clinician’s ‘third hand’, is a passive and unexamined vector of these infections, acting as the vector for deadly diseases like central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). Despite its frequent use in healthcare provision, estimated to touch patients 5 billion times a year in the US, stethoscope hygiene has largely been overlooked. Consistent data has grown over the last decade that confirms the stethoscope as a highly contaminated vector that transmits pathogens between patients, and requires hygiene standards similar to hand hygiene. Medical association guidelines have been updated recently to address this important patient safety issue, and the CDC has also confirmed these changes in their forthcoming guidelines.

That’s where the DiskCover™ System by AseptiScope, a groundbreaking solution to redefine stethoscope hygiene, comes in. The first touch-free stethoscope hygiene system of its kind, the DiskCover System is an FDA-approved solution designed for the aseptic application of stethoscope disk covers, to ensure a robust and effective stethoscope barrier for patient safety. This simple and effective solution eliminates the risk posed by the ineffectual alcohol wipes traditionally used.

Stethoscope disinfection practices have been unregulated, inconsistent, and inadequate for far too long. This is because self-administered disinfection has the inherent risk of human error and logistical drawbacks that exclude the possibility of compliance. Alcohol wipes and other similar ‘solutions’ have limited efficacy, and enforcement is impractical due to the busy schedules of healthcare professionals.

These new standards aim to make stethoscope hygiene as critical as hand hygiene is, written by the same team that wrote the hygiene guidelines for the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, professional associations like the Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) have preceded the CDC by issuing its own standards of care for stethoscope hygiene between each patient encounter; to integrate the more effective and high compliance disposable barrier solution into recommended practice.

Holding healthcare institutions more accountable for patient safety, healthcare providers are integrating stethoscope hygiene procedures that align with hand hygiene. As new standards for patient safety evolve, the integration of this shift into hospital policy are critical to avoid financial and regulatory consequences. Medical legal liability concerns for patient infections that focus on hand hygiene compliance will begin inquiring about standards for stethoscope hygiene compliance. Regulatory bodies like The Joint Commission, will scrutinize hygiene practices when there are HAI outbreaks. AORN’s guidelines outline a reality where healthcare providers institute stethoscope hygiene as the standard, where some hospitals have never instituted stethoscope hygiene policy, leaving both the patient and the institution exposed.

“I really see technology playing a huge role in our ability to resolve this challenge,” says Kathleen Vollman, a clinical nurse specialist and president of the World Federation of Critical Care Nurses. “Cleaning stethoscopes between patients has never worked because it can damage the stethoscope, and is ineffective against many resistant pathogens.” The new touch-free DiskCover System has already proven its role in impacting thousands of lives. One Memphis hospital that installed the system saw a significant decrease in CLABSIs— a class of preventable infections occuring in the US 250,000 times per year, resulting in 28,000 deaths and billions of added dollars to the US healthcare system every year, with an estimated cost of $48,000 per episode. “The DiskCover System has made stethoscope cleanliness uncomplicated and transparent for our ICU,” says Naomi Ragsdale, a nurse and infection control expert. “We are able to monitor usage and have peace of mind knowing the compliance of our staff is on par with our hygiene goals which in turn decreases the risk for a hospital-acquired infection.” This data is accepted for presentation this Spring at NTI – the largest hospital nursing conference.

There was also a study recently conducted by The Cleveland Clinic that demonstrated the results of aseptic stethoscope barriers through a controlled experience where researchers showed patients the application of three different hygiene variables: no hygiene, alcohol wipes, and the DiskCover System. The results were as expected; both clinicians and patients overwhelmingly preferred the DiskCover System for the visible assurance it provides and ease of use. In the post-COVID era, patients are alerted to germ transmission risks, and are reassured when they see visible indicators of infection protection. While traditional methods require patients’ trust in unseen actions, a touch-free barrier visibly shows that hygiene measures are being taken, enhancing patient experience.

Now with the first evidence-based template for stethoscope hygiene policy and procedure, developed and authored by three leading clinicians in three different disciplines, new standards can be immediately implemented. Hospitals nationwide can now use the DiskCover System with ease, and increased patient safety and compliance.

These shifts in standards of care make uncovered, unclean stethoscopes culpable vectors in the event of infections during healthcare delivery. As healthcare providers, the responsibility towards patients must extend to every tool they use, including their ‘third hand’. The DiskCover System offers a seamless, cost-effective, and impactful solution that complies with the new standard. As CEO of AseptiScope Scott W. Mader adds, “It’s simple. It’s direct. We know what’s happening, we know it affects patient safety, and we know the current limitations. And we have here a new technology that gets it done.”

The data is clear, the tools are available, and the guidelines are here. It’s time for healthcare institutions and clinicians everywhere to make stethoscope hygiene a new cornerstone of infection prevention and patient safety. By embracing AseptiScope’s DiskCover™ System, the next evolution of healthcare can begin.

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Article from Dallas Observer: https://storyconsole.dallasobserver.com/sc/a-new-era-of-patient-safety-and-hygiene-protocol-with-aseptiscopes-diskcover-system

As the CDC urges hospitals to address a growing trend in healthcare-associated infection, many are rapidly integrating cutting-edge hygiene solutions to maintain patient safety.

By Jon Stojan

Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) concerns have risen dramatically since the CDC labeled stethoscope hygiene as a critical factor in addressing disease transmission. Scientific literature proves that medical devices may be overlooked as vectors for pathogens spread through touch, disproving the assumption that hand contact is the only cause of transmission in clinical settings. After this, stethoscopes are the main perpetrators of disease and bacteria in healthcare facilities due to frequent patient contact and ineffective hygiene methods. California-based medical device startup AseptiScope^® has introduced The DiskCover^® System, a revolutionary technology that prevents stethoscopes from touching patients directly during exams. The company’s novel technology is being adopted by leading cancer centers in the US to safeguard some of the nation’s most vulnerable patients and tackle the issue of alcohol-resistant pathogens.

Commonly referred to as a ‘clinician’s third hand,’ stethoscopes touch US patients over five billion times per year and are as contaminated as unwashed hands. These findings prove that infection control measures have inadequately considered the risk of medical devices such as stethoscopes. Stethoscopes were disinfected per CDC guidelines in less than 4% of encounters, and it’s very plausible that patients are exposed to pathogens during every hospital visit.

Past guidelines have misclassified stethoscopes as a “non-critical” concern, but accrued evidence has shown just the opposite, with experts in the field calling on the CDC to elevate the stethoscope to a concern as significant as clinicians’ hands. In response, this year, the CDC has issued that stethoscopes ‘transmit via touch,’ and that, like hands, hygiene should be conducted between every patient exam.

However, decades of indiscriminately disinfecting with isopropyl alcohol have fueled the development of alcohol-resistant pathogens capable of surviving the recommended 60 seconds of cleaning. Leading experts in major cancer centers have called for novel solutions to this rapidly growing safety concern and updates in the CDC’s guidelines. Disposable stethoscope diaphragms have been proposed as a mitigation strategy to reduce pathogen transmission.

A new technology, The DiskCover System, has demonstrated immediate resolution to stethoscope contamination and transmission. This cutting-edge system is more effective than previously suggested disinfection methods. The DiskCover System eliminates the shortcomings of stethoscope hygiene by eliminating direct contact between the stethoscope and the patient, so that each exam is completely clean, and patients have no exposure to dangerous pathogens during examination.

Recently, experts at the top cancer centers in the U.S. called for stethoscope hygiene to become a prioritized “new normal” and, compared the data associated with all options for hygiene, their conclusion was that The DiskCover System’s aseptic, touch-free barriers are superior across a wide range of considerations. Most significantly, because they provide an “aseptic point of contact 100% of the time,” which elevates patient safety to a new level.

In Houston, the cancer care leader MD Anderson Cancer Center held its annual emergencies in oncology conference, where several abstracts were presented on the subject of stethoscope contamination. One of these publications, entitled “stethoscopes no longer need to touch patients,” received great interest from cancer experts in attendance.“The DiskCover System was created to address this major patient safety issue, and we have designed it to be easy, convenient, and immediate. Most importantly, it was designed to completely halt the transmission of pathogens and elevate patient safety during examinations,” says Scott Mader, CEO at San Diego-based AseptiScope.

“Cancer patients are more susceptible to infection due to their course of treatment, stethoscope exams, and routine in patient assessment,” said Gerardo Midence, MD, an oncologist at the St. Joseph Cancer Center in Lewiston, Idaho. “We evaluated The DiskCover System and found it useful, practical, and functional. Importantly, it makes stethoscope hygiene more reliable and timely.” The DiskCover System is being placed in hand hygiene stations, where healthcare providers are already trained to stop before seeing the patient. For this reason, it’s no surprise that it is preferred by clinicians who rely on stethoscopes – because of their high-fidelity, time-saving nature.

The DiskCover System is also elevating patient experience, as it is a visible indicator of protection. In a study by investigators at the world-leading Cleveland Clinic, patients reported that they rarely see stethoscopes being cleaned and immediately feel The DiskCover System is a robust measure keeping them safe during exams. Five thousand miles to the west, Dr. Eric Crawley, a specialist at Hawaii Pacific Health, doesn’t need the study to see the impact on patient satisfaction. “I use this every single day, on every single patient, and, without fail, patients are blown away by it. They are incredibly impressed by our commitment to their safety. I deal with a considerable number of transplants, immuno-suppressed patients, and people that don’t need to pick up resistant pathogens.”

In the post-COVID era where patients are increasingly concerned about cleanliness in clinical environments, the need for transparent, reliable, and effective infection control measures has never been more critical. Medical (TASE:PMCN) literature has long recognized the severity of pathogen transmission through stethoscopes, and providers are beginning to join this movement in light of changing guidelines. As breakthrough technology like the DiskCover System enables touch-free diagnostic experiences, patients can rest easy knowing that providers are committed to reducing healthcare-associated infection, preventing the growth of highly resistant pathogens to protect them in every way possible.

Original Article on Investing.com: https://www.investing.com/studios/contributor-content/hospitals-tackle-stethoscope-superbug-transmission-with-innovative-new-hygiene-solution-382701

Story by Mod Homez

Published 09/12/24 AT 2:13:44 AM PST

Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) concerns have risen dramatically since the CDC labeled stethoscope hygiene as a critical factor in addressing disease transmission. Scientific literature proves that medical devices may be overlooked as vectors for pathogens spread through touch, disproving the assumption that hand-to-hand contact is the only cause of transmission in clinical settings. After this, stethoscopes are the main perpetrators of disease and bacteria in healthcare facilities due to frequent patient contact and ineffective hygiene methods. California-based medical device startup AseptiScope® has introduced The DiskCover System, a revolutionary technology that prevents stethoscopes from touching patients directly during exams. The company’s novel technology is being adopted by leading cancer centers in the US to safeguard some of the nation’s most vulnerable patients and tackle the issue of alcohol-resistant pathogens.

Commonly referred to as a ‘clinician’s third hand,’ stethoscopes touch US patients over five billion times per year and are as contaminated as unwashed hands. These findings prove that infection control measures have inadequately considered the risk of medical devices such as stethoscopes. Stethoscopes were disinfected per CDC guidelines in less than 4% of encounters, and it’s very plausible that patients are exposed to pathogens during every hospital visit.

Past guidelines have misclassified stethoscopes as a “non-critical” concern, but accrued evidence has shown just the opposite, with experts in the field calling on the CDC to elevate the stethoscope to a concern as significant as clinicians’ hands. In response, this year, the CDC has issued that stethoscopes ‘transmit via touch,’ and that, like hands, hygiene should be conducted between every patient exam.

However, decades of indiscriminately disinfecting with isopropyl alcohol have fueled the development of alcohol-resistant pathogens capable of surviving the recommended 60 seconds of cleaning. Leading experts in major cancer centers have called for novel solutions to this rapidly growing safety concern and updates in the CDC’s guidelines. Disposable stethoscope diaphragms have been proposed as a mitigation strategy to reduce pathogen transmission.

A new technology, The DiskCover System, has demonstrated immediate resolution to stethoscope contamination and transmission. This cutting-edge system is more effective than previously suggested disinfection methods. The DiskCover System eliminates the shortcomings of stethoscope hygiene by eliminating direct contact between the stethoscope and the patient, so that each exam is completely clean, and patients have no exposure to dangerous pathogens during examination.

Recently, experts at the top cancer centers in the U.S. called for stethoscope hygiene to become a prioritized “new normal” and, compared the data associated with all options for hygiene, their conclusion was that The DiskCover System’s aseptic, touch-free barriers are superior across a wide range of considerations. Most significantly, because they provide an “aseptic point of contact 100% of the time,” which elevates patient safety to a new level.

In Houston, the cancer care leader MD Anderson Cancer Center held its annual emergencies in oncology conference, where several abstracts were presented on the subject of stethoscope contamination. One of these publications, entitled “stethoscopes no longer need to touch patients,” received great interest from cancer experts in attendance.“The DiskCover System was created to address this major patient safety issue, and we have designed it to be easy, convenient, and immediate. Most importantly, it was designed to completely halt the transmission of pathogens and elevate patient safety during examinations,” says Scott Mader, CEO at San Diego-based AseptiScope®.

“Cancer patients are more susceptible to infection due to their course of treatment, stethoscope exams, and routine in patient assessment,” said Gerardo Midence, MD, an oncologist at the St. Joseph Cancer Center in Lewiston, Idaho. “We evaluated The DiskCover System and found it useful, practical, and functional. Importantly, it makes stethoscope hygiene more reliable and timely.” The DiskCover System is being placed in hand hygiene stations, where healthcare providers are already trained to stop before seeing the patient. For this reason, it’s no surprise that it is preferred by clinicians who rely on stethoscopes – because of their high-fidelity, time-saving nature.

The DiskCover System is also elevating patient experience, as it is a visible indicator of protection. In a study by investigators at the world-leading Cleveland Clinic, patients reported that they rarely see stethoscopes being cleaned and immediately feel The DiskCover System is a robust measure keeping them safe during exams. Five thousand miles to the west, Dr. Eric Crawley, a specialist at Hawaii Pacific Health, doesn’t need the study to see the impact on patient satisfaction. “I use this every single day, on every single patient, and, without fail, patients are blown away by it. They are incredibly impressed by our commitment to their safety. I deal with a considerable number of transplants, immuno-suppressed patients, and people that don’t need to pick up resistant pathogens.”

Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) concerns have risen dramatically since the CDC labeled stethoscope hygiene as a critical factor in addressing disease transmission. Scientific…

In a post-COVID era where patients are increasingly concerned about cleanliness in clinical environments, the need for transparent, reliable, and effective infection control measures has never been more critical. Medical literature has long recognized the severity of pathogen transmission through stethoscopes, and providers are beginning to join this movement in light of changing guidelines. As breakthrough technology like the DiskCover System enables touch-free diagnostic experiences, patients can rest easy knowing that providers are committed to reducing healthcare-associated infection, preventing the growth of highly resistant pathogens to protect them in every way possible.

______________________________________________________________________________

Article from MSN Microsoft Start: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/cancer-centers-race-to-adopt-revolutionary-infection-control-technology-as-cdc-elevates-concern/ar-AA1qryPI?ocid=socialshare#

“Aseptiscope® highlights shortcomings in stethoscope hygiene and other medical instruments”

Kristen Lynch | Contributor

Published 2:51 p.m. ET Aug. 7, 2023

Since the invention of the stethoscope by Rene Laënnec in 1816, the most relied-upon diagnostic tool in modern healthcare delivery and, in popular culture, is one of the identifiers of a doctor or other medical professional. However, as early as 1972, this ubiquitous medical tool has been identified as a major vector for the spread of pathogens, as the diaphragm frequently comes into contact with people, and it is not sanitized as often as it should, as opposed to strict hand hygiene protocols. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, a study has found that stethoscopes were disinfected per CDC guidelines in less than 4% of encounters and were not disinfected at all in 82% of encounters. 

The stethoscope’s frequent use, estimated at around 5 billion times a year in the US, and its involvement in healthcare-associated infection has earned it the reputation as “the clinician’s third hand”. Because it is so frequently used, it is quite inconvenient to sterilize it after each and every use. Two ways of getting around this also present their disadvantages, as disposable stethoscopes are wasteful and costly, while using alcohol is time-consuming and may promote the growth of alcohol-resistant bacteria.  

Scott W. Mader, co-founder and CEO of medical innovation startup Aseptiscope®, says this situation has led him to realize that infection control in the medical field remains very poor, and that it has failed to innovate for many decades. In most general medical settings, the protocol remains slathering alcohol over most surfaces, and grabbing a pair of gloves that are stuffed into a tissue box. He believes that this is very primitive relative to what things should be, which is the use of the aseptic technique, the gold standard for infection control. While PPE like non-sterile gloves, masks, and alcohol gel – so prioritized during the pandemic- is designed to protect medical practitioners, aseptic measures are designed to protect the patient.     

However, aseptic technique is a time-consuming and painstaking process. After sterilizing something, it is quite difficult to deliver it somewhere else without contaminating it in any way. Surgery preparation, for example, is a very meticulous process, and its standards cannot be reasonably applied in day-to-day healthcare. This is despite healthcare-associated infections in the US causing almost 100,000 deaths and costing the health system around $40 billion each year. 

Even before the pandemic, Mader and his cofounders were looking to address this problem, and they engaged infection control experts to identify their pain points. This led to Aseptiscope creating the DiskCover® System, which provides a touch-free, near-instantaneous way for clinicians to apply a single-use, disk cover barrier on their stethoscope, acting as a glove for the clinician’s third hand. Each disk cover is durable and produced aseptically in Aseptiscope’s clean room. It is acoustically invisible, meaning that it has no effect on the sound quality of the stethoscope, and it has a peel-off tab for easy removal. 

The disks are dispensed through a touch-free, wall-mounted dispenser with motion sensors. The process, which takes only roughly a second, is activated by the stethoscope user by waving their hand under the dispenser and then placing the stethoscope’s diaphragm into the dispenser’s port to apply the disk. The dispenser is loaded with an easily replaceable Clean Cassette®, which contains 420 disks and preserves them in an aseptic environment until it is applied to a stethoscope.  

“One of the greatest stumbling blocks of innovation is that people are resistant to change, and healthcare professionals are no exception. In developing the DiskCover system, we made it as non-disruptive as possible to the established workflow and with minimal added cost to healthcare providers,” Mader says. 

A survey by Aseptiscope showed that more than 95% of clinicians said that the DiskCover system was easy to use, that it had a neutral or favorable impact on workflow, and that it will improve stethoscope hygiene compliance and patient safety. 

Aseptiscope was founded in 2016, and Mader says the pandemic definitely affected the company’s ability to launch the DiskCover System, with lockdown mandates and supply chain issues plaguing startups, threatening to bring the project down. The company’s leadership team is composed of clinical innovation experts, medical researchers, and practicing physicians, and it develops and validates its products through an evidence-based process. This is unlike many other devices that emerged during the pandemic that promised to help prevent infection, but were unable to demonstrate efficacy during controlled trials. 

Mader likens the pandemics’ impact on infection control to the impact 9/11 had on terrorism. “9/11 forever elevated global vigilance on international terrorism, and, the same can be said for the influence of COVID-19 on society’s vigilance against infection, where we were provided a wake-up call on our vulnerability to infection” 

Moving forward, Aseptiscope is looking to develop solutions similar to the DiskCover system for other medical devices that often come in contact with patients, such as ultrasound probes, which are all vectors for healthcare-associated infection.  

“At Aseptiscope, we use a method called market-driven science in all the products that we initiate and develop. We actually produce solutions based on what the market tells us they need, and these are designed, vetted, and validated using peer-reviewed literature on infectious diseases. This allows customers to adopt innovation based on clear evidence, versus hyperbole” Mader says.  

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Read the article directly from USA TODAY:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/special/contributor-content/2023/08/07/aseptiscope-highlights-shortcomings-in-stethoscope-hygiene/70544870007/