Infection control technologies and policies have always been majorly important in the world of healthcare and skilled nursing facilities (SNF's) specifically, however, due to the global pandemic (you may have heard of it) they have become more crucial than ever. It has been a crazy couple years for everyone involved in healthcare industry but we cannot forget what it's all about, helping people. One of the best ways to ensure we are all doing our best is to utilize data driven solutions and really crack down on those IC policies.
The main goals of infection control are to:
Minimize the risk of infection in individual residents as much as possible
Reduce the risk of transmission of infectious agents among and between residents and healthcare workers.
Reduce risks of infections developing in residents related to the use of devices and procedures required in care.
The best way to make sure all of these goals are met is through a couple methods: In the simplest terms, facilities must utilize surveillance, analyze the ongoing surveillance data, adhere to IC policy, educate staff to adhere to policy, and integrate this policy into their quality management and improvement programs. The consequences for letting your facility slip through the cracks are not insignificant either. Facilities are subject to termination of provider agreement, denial of payment from Medicare and/or Medicaid, civil money penalties, temporary management, transfer of residents, and much more. This is all very undesirable obviously but the real consequence is the increased risk of health complications and possibly something worse for the residents and staff. A facility with solid surveillance and an educated staff can be the difference between good business and foreclosure, or even between life and death.
Now that we all understand the importance of good infection control policy and implementation, how do we get there? Surprise surprise, I am going to mention the product of the company whose website we are both on. The goal of SYNQAIC (pronounced Sin - Quake) has always been to improve the quality and effectiveness of long term care facilities which leads to better quality of life for patients and more money saved for facility managers. Given a background of mandates, regulations, and limitations, infection control practice tends to be limited in most long-term care facilities to purely infection surveillance with little effort to analyze data due to lack of expertise and lack of time. This is where our application comes in to help; SYNQAIC (Synergy Quality Assurance & Improvement Console) is focused on the end game of providing quality care while allowing each facility’s member of the interdisciplinary team to incorporate quality assurance activities and performance measures to be part of their daily routine. Using data-driven & neutral metrics, SYNQAIC is able to identify problem care areas and assist with the breakdown of deficient practices allowing management to identify problem areas and get ahead of potential deficiencies. Overall, infection control is crucial for the longevity and general well-being for both the facility and the residents.
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