Monday, September 10, 2012

Management of Low Tech



Hospitals are very interested in investing in the latest medical technology.  Robotic surgery systems, telemedicine, fMRI.   

But it turns out that the greatest impact they can have on the health, treatment, and recovery of their patients is a much less technological solution.  It is a systematic training and empowerment of their janitorial staff to keep patients’ rooms and operating rooms clean, especially against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.   

Janitors know better than anyone what part of the room (handrails, switches) are touched the most and need the most careful cleaning.  They also have good insight into which patients are the most susceptible (not as much as nurses, but more than many doctors).  

Sometimes, the best answer to a problem is not the sexiest.

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