Mills underscored that the standards and compliance of the clinical engineering industry are very stable, and changes to the survey policies are mainly refinements designed for greater clarity. Remaining informed of the changes that do take place is essential, and the JCPEP is a tool that is intended to help achieve it.

A call for better hand hygiene
Mills closed his presentation with an extended appeal for clinical engineers to take a leading role in combating HAIs.
Noting that every year 722,000 patients contract an HAI while being cared for at a facility — of which, between 70,000 and 80,000 will we fatal — he demanded that every sector of the health care system deem that unacceptable.

The Centers for Disease Control [CDC] has determined that besides clinical issues, the fourth major contributing factor is physical environment, and that the single most effective way to improve it is hand hygiene.

“What can we really do to solve the problem?” asked Mills. “Wash our hands.”

Clinical Engineers need to take responsibility as much as any other health care providers, he said. “The best friend of the engineering department needs to be the infection control practitioner,” said Mills, and together they can take the lead over even nurses and doctors on this pivotal issue.

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