Copper touch surfaces included in ECRI report of emerging technology

Copper touch-surface items are highlighted in a document published by the ECRI Institute titled: ‘Top 10 (Technologies) Hospital C-Suite Executives Watch List’ for 2014.

The overarching goal of the new document is to provide summaries of emerging technologies that can help hospital leaders improve capital planning efforts in 2014.

The fourth topic presented in the publication was the use of copper surfaces within healthcare facilities. A background explaining the troubles associated with healthcare-associated infections is given, along with a write-up on copper touch surfaces, including both scientific evidence and commentary on how strategically-implemented copper touch surface items can have a positive influence within healthcare facilities.

ECRI Institute’s conclusions were drawn from utilising data from EPA testing protocols, a Department of Defense funded Clinical Trial, and an AHRQ funded Clinical Trial currently under way at UCLA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science.

To read the document in its entirety, click here to access the ECRI Institute website.

Brief background on ECRI Institute:

Designated as an Evidence-Based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and listed as a federal Patient Safety Organization by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the ECRI Institute delivers publications that help decision makers ‘understand the hype vesus the evidence and the important issues to consider when deciding whether to be early adopters, middle adopters, or no-adopters.’

ECRI Institute claims to ‘have no vested interest in the technologies and issues we discuss other than to fulfill our mission to improve patient safety and cost-effectiveness of healthcare.’