Cleaning time and motion: an observational study on the time required to effectively clean shared medical equipment in hospitals

Abstract

Despite the important role that cleaning plays in reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections no research has been done to quantify the time required to effectively clean and disinfect different pieces of shared medical equipment commonly used in hospitals. In this short report, we present results from a study that aims to quantify the time required to effectively clean common pieces of shared medical equipment. We conducted an observational time and motion study in a nursing simulation laboratory, to determine the time required to effectively clean and disinfect 12 pieces of shared medical equipment commonly used in hospital. After receiving training, participants cleaned and disinfected equipment with the time taken to clean recorded. Cleaning effectiveness was determined if ≥80% of ultraviolet fluorescent dots were removed during the cleaning process. The time to effectively clean equipment ranged from 50 sec (blood glucose testing kit; 95%CI 0:40-1:00 (min:sec)) to 3 min 53 sec (medication trolley; 95%CI 3:36-4:11 (min:sec)). The intravenous stand was most effectively cleaned, with 100% of dots removed (n = 100 dots). Contrastingly, the bladder scanner was the most difficult to clean, with 12 attempts required to meet the 80% cleaned criteria. This study will inform staffing and training requirements to effectively plan the cleaning and disinfect of shared medical equipment. Findings can also be used for business cases and in future cost-effectiveness evaluations of cleaning interventions that include shared medical equipment.