Collaborate to Achieve
To support community based practitioners and staff who reprocess semi-critical and critical medical devices outside of Alberta Health Services facilities, Alberta Health is collaborating with CSA Group to develop and make available a comprehensive educational program on infection prevention and control and medical device reprocessing (MDR) in community health care settings.
The program aims to demonstrate the direct impact of the MDR practitioner’s work on patient safety and to introduce collective vigilance in the implementation of best practices. It will include best practices rules to encourage their application and raise the MDR practitioner’s awareness of the importance of their role, responsibility and accountability for the actions in the performance of their duties.
The program is of interest to practitioners and staff involved in MDR in community health care settings, including but not limited to:
- Family Physicians
- Administrative staff within Medical or Dental offices / facilities
- Podiatrists
- Speech Language Pathologists
- Audiologists
- Physical Therapists
- Dentists / Dental Assistants / Dental Hygienists / Denturists
- Registered Nurses / Licensed Practical Nurses
- Midwives
- Optometrists
Community Health Care Settings – Recording of Live Session
On September 26, 2013, a complimentary online session was held and participants were provided with an overview of the issues and challenges associated with MDR in community health care settings as well
Reprocessing in Community Settings (Online Training Course)
Provides the minimum requirements for installing oil-burning appliances, equipment and components to help keep people and property safer.
Review these “Hot Button” Terms and Definitions to Get You Started
A medical device is any instrument, apparatus, equipment, tool or any other article intended by the manufacturer to be used by a health care practitioner on a human being for the purpose of diagnosing, treating, managing monitoring, alleviating or modifying a disease, injury or any other process or condition. Examples of medical devices include:
Surgical forceps
Dental Probes
Otoscope Tips
Intramuscular Needles
Heamostats
Nail Clippers
A semi-critical medical device is a device that comes into contact with non-intact skin or mucous membranes while a critical medical device is a device that enters sterile tissues including the vascular system.
Reusable semi critical and critical medical devices require reprocessing to ensure they are free of pathogens and safe to use on the next patient or client. Reprocessing steps include transportation of contaminated medical devices, cleaning, sterilization (various methods) or disinfection (various methods) and packaging and storage.