Improper Endoscope Reprocessing: One of Healthcare's Most Dangerous Health Hazards

In 2011, the FDA along with the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) developed a list of the most common themes that lead to the problems with endoscope reprocessing. These themes include a lack of regard for the human factor in the reprocessing department, unstandardized processes, and unclear understanding of the consequences related to improper reprocessing, to name a few. AAMI's themes are still just as prominent in the Healthcare Industry today, making it no surprise that for the fourth year in a row, inadequate endoscope reprocessing has been included on ECRI's Top 10 Health Technology Hazards Report. On the 2013 report, endoscope reprocessing was listed at number 8.

Check out the article below for more information. It provides tools for identifying reprocessing issues, and recommendations from AAMI and ECRI.

Read the full article here...