New Microbiome Study Suggests an Opportunity to Reduce Healthcare Facility Costs by 30%

Ottawa, Canada, November 1, 2016 (Newswire.com) - ​Nortec is pleased to unveil a new educational portal, developed in collaboration with the American Hospital Association, which provides data and insights from healthcare and engineering professionals that could help decrease healthcare facility costs associated with healthcare associated infections (HAIs) by 30%.

High healthcare facility costs continue to burden the healthcare system. Nortec’s new educational materials highlight two major factors in this problem. First, despite a wide focus on infection control practices and hygiene procedures, many patients are contracting serious HAIs, which threaten their health and survival. Second, hospitals and patients alike are suffering due to high costs of in-patient care, which are being further burdened by the expenses of treating the infections acquired during patients’ hospital stays.

Poor indoor air quality, and its effect on patient illness and infection, is a costly problem for healthcare facilities and it can be prevented.

Duncan Curd, GM of Nortec

“There is a growing awareness of the correlation between HAIs and increasingly higher costs of in-patient care that poses a huge problem for healthcare facilities across the globe – and an important opportunity for healthcare facilities to reduce their costs and improve the quality of patient care,” said Duncan Curd, GM of Nortec.  

Studies show that 33 out of every 100 patients experience some type of medical error during their hospitalization. Of these, 18% will get an HAI. This means that at least 9% of patients acquire a new infection while in the hospital, adding further demand and burden on the healthcare system. It is estimated that HAIs cost the United States economy $96 to $147 billion per year, with HAIs annually killing more people globally than AIDS, breast cancer and auto accidents combined. 

Data presented in Nortec’s medical consultant Dr. Stephanie Taylor’s recent whitepaper, suggests that one of the main factors in decreasing the prevalence of HAIs is maintaining an indoor relative air humidity level (RH) of 40% to 60%. In these conditions, Dr. Taylor suggests that the “transmission through room air or mechanical systems is decreased and therefore the possibility of a secondary patient being exposed is proportionately decreased.”

However, current indoor air guidelines for hospitals do not specify an RH level in patient care areas, and some hospitals are even promoting lowering the minimal acceptable RH level in operating rooms from the current 35% to 20%.

“By providing these educational materials to healthcare facilities, Nortec hopes to help improve patient outcomes in hospitals, nursing homes and healthcare medical offices where instances of HAIs are a major contributing factor to healthcare facility costs,” said Duncan Curd. “Poor indoor air quality, and its effect on patient illness and infection, is a costly problem for healthcare facilities and it can be prevented. In addition, improved RH levels can provide a secondary benefit of reduced staff illness and absenteeism as well as improved patient comfort levels.”

For more information, please consult Nortec’s media kit. This kit includes an on-demand recording of American Hospital Association’s webinar, How to Decrease HAI Costs by 30% With Two Easy Steps, Dr. Taylor’s whitepaper on improving patient outcomes in healthcare facilities, and information on the impact of humidity in nursing homes and the benefits of humidification for hospitals and healthcare.

About Nortec (Member of the Condair Group)

With 600 employees, the Condair Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial and industrial humidification systems, setting standards globally for energy-efficient and hygienic solutions through its main Condair brand. Condair is represented in 16 countries by its own sales and service organisations and is supported by distribution partners in a further 50 countries. Condair operates production sites in Europe, North America and China.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Caine Ruckstuhl
​Marketing Director (ASP), Nortec
T: 613-804-0987
E: caine.ruckstuhl@humidity.com

Source: Nortec