The Philosophy of the Solution
Hospital Acquired Diseases are an international epidemic, raging seemingly unchecked by the healthcare industry. In the United States alone at least 5000 patients contract HAD’s every day. And, of these infected, approximately 700 will die. The CDC reports that on any given day, 1 in 25 hospital patients has at least one HAD. While there have been strides to combat this, the problem continues to grow, and many are calling it a modern-day plague. What are the reasons behind the epidemic? What is the philosophy of the solution?
Looking In the Wrong Place
The number one reason that HAD’s abound is that healthcare professionals are looking in the wrong place for solutions. Expectedly, they know and understand medicine, and administer it accordingly. However, they do not realize that the effectiveness of modern day antibiotics has a short shelf life remaining. On the current path of administration, the success of these drugs will shortly expire.
Discovery, Invention, Solution
The urgency to find a real solution is paramount. It is time to pass the torch of Discovery, Invention, and Solution to another team. The healthcare industry must shift it’s mindset and appropriate the proper time and money to simple standard industrial planning. They must understand that the resolution lies in ENGINEERING, not science, medicine, microbiology or pharmacology. Everyone can work together, however, alone, they will never be the drivers of success. If they were, then HAD’s would not be a continuing issue.
Reevaluate Current Methods
Some of the ineffective methods currently employed include:
- Introduction of New Antibiotics
- Genetic Bacteria Tracking
- UV Light Trees
Introduction of New Antibiotics
According to the current protocol, we can predict that upon the discovery of a new pathogen a different antibiotic will be immediately used to combat it. It may seem practical at first, but, among other things, will only serve to contribute to Clostridium difficile or C. diff, a deadly bacteria. The high dosing of patients proliferates these epidemics. Therefore, we can surmise this is not the best strategy.
Genetic Bacteria Testing
While GBT yields interesting information, it is time-consuming and costly. The results are of more interest to science than benefit to patients and staff. It serves as a useful quality and assurance provisions but is really only a waste of time as it offers no solutions.
UV Light Trees
Due to mostly user error and misunderstanding, UV Light Trees are ineffective. Here’s why. UV light travels in a straight line. And, while it may destroy pathogens, it encounters it is not ubiquitous. Meaning, it leaves behind more bacteria than it kills. Furthermore, because of faulty facility design, with in seconds, new pathogens quickly replace the old.
A multi-pronged effort must be employed to cure the world of this plague. The solution lies in the basics of engineering. Hospitals need to be managed as technical facilities. That way the answers will be appreciated understood and implemented.
The IFord Institute’s mission is to educate healthcare professions to end this dreadful epidemic. This is the philosophy of the solution. Contact us today to learn how we can work together to create a healthier world.
