Sterile Processing and Infection Control in ASCs

The determination of an Ambulatory Surgery Center’s success may be measured by many standards including: financial performance; satisfaction scores from patients, staff and physicians; patient outcomes and even staff retention. However, a true measure of a center’s performance is Infection Control. Infection Control impacts and is impacted by all the mentioned measures. That is how vital an optimal Infection Control Plan is to the design, operation and success of an ASC. This chapter will briefly mention topics expounded upon in the other chapters in this book and explain the correlation and connections that lead to an Ambulatory Surgery Center’s success through ensuring a respect for the Infection Control Plan, its measures, documentation of outcomes, tracking of reportable events and the importance of an included Sterile Processing department. Having the entire team engaged in the process of the Infection Control Plan is of paramount importance in optimizing patient outcomes and providing a safe experience for each and every patient.