ECRI's Watch List for Hospital Execs Highlights Technology

Robots are the number one on the list of new technologies. We are one of the first to bring it into the home.

Prevention survey on any given day, about 1 in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection and 75,000 deaths a year are due to HAIs

1. Disinfection Robots

With hospital-acquired complications costing upwards of $35,000 per patient, hospitals are stepping up cleaning protocols to improve safety. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey on any given day, about 1 in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection and 75,000 deaths a year are due to HAIs.

Some hospitals are turning to robotic systems that purport to do a better job than traditional environmental cleaning by using ultraviolet-C light or hydrogen peroxide vapor. These are technologies used in other industries, but relatively new to healthcare.

The robots are dispatched after traditional cleaning in between patients, and may be especially effective in areas in high-risk areas such intensive care units.

Some studies indicate the robots work, Maliff says, but the problem is knowing which devices reduce infections at rates above traditional cleaning. Additionally, he says, "a lot of the evidence we have seen doesn't compare the technologies head-to-head. It's difficult to separate the impact these systems have on the overall infection control program."

These systems are costly, too, ranging from about $47,000 to $125,000, plus service contracts.

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