March 9, 2023 – There was a famous quote from Mercury Astronaut John Glenn about how he felt when his rocket was about to lift off. He replied, “Well, the answer to that one is easy. I felt exactly how you would feel if you were getting ready to launch and knew you were sitting on top of 2 million parts – all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract.”
That sums up how in a pre-pandemic world we felt about infection prevention. Not much thought about product attributes, or quality, just “What’s the price?”
The world has changed. Clinicians want comfort, and they want to feel safe. They want recognizable brands they were trained on, and they have a history with. What’s the win/win here for distribution and suppliers throughout the supply chain? It’s better compliance and increased utilization of product.
What drives consumerism for hand hygiene? Significant use is a primary driver. According to the CDC, “Healthcare providers might need to clean their hands as many as 100 times per 12-hour shift depending on the number of patients and the intensity of care.”
Heavy usage by healthcare providers is tied to the five moments of hand hygiene as described by the World Health Organization:
- Before touching patients
- Before clean aseptic procedures
- After bodily exposure or risk
- After touching a patient
- After touching a patient’s surroundings
Read more in the latest issue of Repertoire Magazine.