Improving Patient Safety: The Implications of Internet of Things (IoT)

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that hospitals are responsible for 1.7 million Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) in the U.S. resulting in 99,000 associated deaths , more annually than those who die from car accidents in the United States. Moreover, in Canada 220,000 patients were affected with HAIs resulting in 12,000 deaths. Given the exponential growth of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the hospital environment, it is essential that healthcare professionals are aware of the significance of infectious vectors on wearables and other IoT devices and how they can improve patient safety, without compromising the devices' integrity in the process. In this critical webinar, Dr. Sean Spina will share his team’s approach to the investigation into the cleaning methods of smartphones and wearables from infectious contamination in a patient care environment (ISWIPE). Daniel Colling from HP will also speak to the challenges for driving policy for infection prevention and control of IT devices and related electromagnetic interference challenges from IoT devices that impact patients and shared patient environments. Learning points include: - The importance of formalized, structured evaluations of new technologies in healthcare settings - The infectious implications and risks of using smartphones and wearable devices in a healthcare setting - Methods of evaluating multiple vector threats for mitigating contamination and the spread of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) - Providing safe electronics around sensitive equipment and high-risk patients