Clean Care – technologies for infection prevention in hospitals

Aim

The aim of the project is to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and spreading of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) microbes  in healthcare establishments, through (1) understanding of origin and pathways, (2) breaking these pathways, (3) verifying consequences, and (4) disseminating knowledge and increasing national and international cooperation.

Challenge

Clean Care addresses the urgent need to minimise HAI and reduce the risk of spreading AMR microbes within healthcare settings. Recurring surveys show that approximately 9 percent of hospitalized patients have some sort of HAI. This causes patient suffering, extended nursing time as well as increased costs. HAI is a problem within healthcare e.g. hospitals, as well as in municipal care and long-term care facilities e.g. nursing homes. To prevent patients from getting HAI, work to support the hospital staff in maintaining sufficient healthcare hygiene is a crucial factor.

- The Department of Infection Prevention and Control at Sahlgrenska University Hospital aims to support the development of new HAI-preventive products as well as solutions that will increase adherence to infection prevention and control practices, says head of the department Christina Welinder-Olsson.

Solution

The project will tackle the challenge through innovative solutions for hygienic design, AMR-effective decontamination technologies, improved air quality and cleanliness control as well as enhanced monitoring systems for HAI, facilitating systematic follow-up on quality of care and patient outcome.

Partners in the project like LifeClean, LED Tailor, BioThema and Swedish Medical Nanoscience Center at Karolinska Institutet will evaluate innovative technologies for surface disinfection and quality control, while Arjo, Cellcomb and Tobii, together with Halmstad University, will focus on hygienic design, user studies and business model innovation. Getinge, CRC Medical and Toul Meditech, together with Sahlgrenska University Hospital, will conduct a clinical study in which the goal is to optimize air quality in the operating room as well as systematic quality control and follow-up of environment in the operating room and surgical site infections of treated patients.

- A surveillance system that monitors environmental factors and patient data during every surgery and generates intelligent data for follow-up would greatly facilitate the hospitals quality work, says Henrik Malchau head of Department of Orthopedics.

Effects

• An increased availability of evidence based methods for infection control
• A reduced risk for the spread of pathogens in the hospital environment
• Commercial opportunities for the participating companies