EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Best of Both Worlds for Your ASC: Increasing Productivity and Raising Standards in Sterilization

On October 26, Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP) hosted the eighth in a series of informational Webinars, “Best of Both Worlds for Your ASC: Increasing Productivity and Raising Standards in Sterilization,” to encourage Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) to consider ASP’s STERRAD^® NX^® System as an alternative to the STERIS^® System 1 (SS1) by providing an overview of sterilization best practices and a head-to-head comparison of the two technologies. The comparison aimed to thoroughly explain the differences between the devices and elucidate the benefits of transitioning to the STERRAD^® NX^® System in an ASC environment, including the impact a transition can have on productivity and lowering costs—all while raising the standard of care.

If you were unable to attend the live broadcast of the Webinar, an archive is now available for on-demand viewing at http://www.aspjj.com/us/supports/videos/webinar.

Featuring:

• Barbara Trattler, RN, MPA, CNOR, CNA
  Director, Clinical Education, ASP
• Cathy Rocco, RN, MSN,CNOR
  Senior Clinical Education Consultant, ASP
• Charles Roberts
  Research and Development Director, ASP

Key Take-Aways:

• Cathy Rocco, RN, MSN, CNOR, Senior Clinical Education Consultant, ASP, presented sterilization best practices in the ASC setting and provided a comprehensive overview of the current regulatory guidelines. She also provided the information to select the best SS1 alternative stating, “With the dry packaged, terminal sterilization process of the STERRAD^® NX^® System, instruments are ready for use immediately or can be stored for use later. This ensures that your surgery center can start ahead of schedule and stay ahead of schedule, limiting the number of reprocessing cancellations or failures on the day of surgery that are common with “just-in-time” processing methods like the SS1E.”
• She also gave an overview of how ASCs can help reduce costs based on a number of variables, stating, “The STERRAD^® NX^® System provides gentle, low-temperature gas plasma sterilization. Because it does not use harsh chemicals like peracetic acid, paired with its low temperature, it is safe for your instruments and ultimately helps you save money when it comes to instrument repair. These two factors also ensure it is safe for workers,” and she added, “with the addition of terminally sterilized devices in your ASC, staff no longer needs to arrive earlier for their shift in order to run a diagnostic cycle. When they arrive for their first case, devices are packaged and ready for use.”
• Charles Roberts, Research and Development Director, ASP, compared the device sterilization processes for the SS1E and the STERRAD^® System, stating, “The filtration process alone isn’t generally recognized as delivering sterility assurance of a one in a million chance of a non-sterile occurrence, which as we previously discussed, is how the FDA, AORN and APIC define a sterilized device."

Q&A Session:

Following are the most popular and pressing questions answered regarding the transition to terminal sterilization:

Q: Is ASP equipped to help me transition?
A: Yes. We have systems available, but of course, the sooner an order is received, the faster we can anticipate your needs and begin working with you on a transition plan. It’s important to keep in mind that the total transition process can take up to 90 days.

Q: What types of devices can be sterilized in the STERRAD^® NX^® System?
A: We always remind our customers that when you invest in new medical devices or sterilization equipment, you must follow the medical device manufacturer’s instructions for use (IFU) to determine if the device is validated for a specific sterilization system. Both AORN and AAMI recommend you follow the device instructions for use in order to assure sterility. And it is important to know that not all devices cleared for reprocessing in the STERIS^® System 1 are cleared for reprocessing in the STERIS^® System 1E™.

The STERRAD^® Systems brand has the most IFU endorsements from medical device manufacturers for low-temperature sterilization. Thousands of devices commonly used in ASCs from key medical device manufacturers can be processed in the STERRAD^® NX^® System. Olympus, KARL STORZ, Richard Wolf and Gyrus ACMI have all announced certain flexible endoscopes that can be processed in the STERRAD^® NX^® System.

We continue to work closely with device manufacturers and are adding to the list of devices on a regular basis. For example, Viking Systems, Stryker Telescopes and many more have been recently added to the list of devices that can be sterilized in the STERRAD^® System.

You can also consult the STERRAD^® Sterility Guide, which is designed to provide STERRAD^® System customers with a list of devices that fall within the cleared sterility claims. It is an easy-to-use, online tool that helps you quickly determine if a device can be sterilized in a STERRAD^® System. It is also now available for smartphones.

When using the STERRAD^® Sterility Guide, you are able to enter the serial number of your system and then select from a variety of device manufacturers to determine if the device falls within the STERRAD^® System sterility claims.

Just as we are regularly working with device manufacturers to obtain IFU endorsements for their devices, we are constantly updating the STERRAD^® Sterility Guide with this information so our customers can stay as up-to-date as possible, which is why the guide is maintained exclusively online.

Q: How will the STERRAD^® NX^® System work in my ASC?
A: The STERRAD^® NX^® System is a great fit for your ASC and your patients because it offers terminal sterilization. That means when the cycle is completed the instrument is sterile and ready to use right away or at a later date. In addition, the STERRAD^® NX^® System is just one part of ASP’s O.R. Solution that will help you optimize sterilization in your operating room. The O.R. Solution is a comprehensive blend of technologies, processes and education designed to optimize sterilization within an operating room setting.

The STERRAD^® Sterilization Systems produce a measurable return on your sterilization investment by reducing instrument repair costs, offering rapid cycles, reducing instrument inventories and enhancing safety.

Q: How quickly can the STERRAD^® NX^® System reprocess devices?
A: The STERRAD^® NX^® System has a 28-minute cycle time to help ensure fast instrument turnaround. There is also an advanced 38-minute cycle time for single-channel flexible endoscopes.

In addition, the STERRAD^® NX^® System can help you optimize your instrument flow by processing typical rigid scopes, bridges, sheaths, forceps and light cords required to perform a routine procedure in one container all at once. As previously noted, the materials and lumen claims of the STERRAD^® Systems extend beyond heat- and moisture-sensitive devices, which allows you to process many procedure sets together.

Q: Since the STERIS^® System 1E™ (SS1E) has lidded containers, can I put them on the shelf and use them later?
A: There is no storage claim with SS1E just as there is no storage claim with STERIS^® System 1. Processed devices from the SS1E must be removed from the processor at the end of the cycle and used immediately. STERRAD^® Systems provide packaged terminally sterilized devices that can be put on the shelf and used now or later.

Q: We are concerned about the downtime with purchasing an entirely new sterilization modality. Is the STERRAD^® NX^® System easy to use?
A: Many of our customers have been surprised at how quickly and easily they were able to transition their facility – large or small – to the STERRAD^® NX^® System for terminal sterilization. In a nutshell, no special heat boosters, plumbing, aeration or ventilation is required. In addition, ASP is your partner in establishing a plan to ensure your facility can transition with as little disruption to daily operations as possible.

Q: In my center, we’re pretty strapped for cash. Are there any financial incentives for transitioning to the STERRAD^® NX^® System?
A: Absolutely. You’ll learn that when it comes to pricing, as with other aspects of the transition process, ASP works with each facility on an individual level. ASP is able to offer a variety of financing options through Johnson & Johnson Financing, including leasing and deferred payments. We encourage you to speak with an ASP sales representative to learn more about how we can meet your facility’s financing needs.

Q: Do you offer educational resources?
A: Yes, at ASP we have a number of tools to help you make this transition as smooth and easy as possible, including individualized and personalized support. When you call us about making the transition, we immediately assess your needs and recommend the best options for your facility. In addition to equipment, we can assist you with training and education to help ensure that your facility operates with minimum downtime and maximum predictability. Our highly skilled team of field service engineers, dedicated technical support staff, and licensed clinical professionals is available to answer your questions and to help ensure your facility operates efficiently at all times.

View the Webinar

If you were unable to attend the live broadcast of the Webinar, an archive is now available for on-demand viewing at http://www.aspjj.com/us/supports/videos/webinar.

This Webinar is just one of the new resources and educational initiatives ASP has recently launched to help smooth the transition to STERIS^® System 1 alternatives. For more information about STERRAD^® Systems and other ASP products, please visit our newly enhanced Web site at www.ASPJJ.com, which provides convenient, centralized access to the latest information from ASP. In addition, we have launched ASP’s Infection Prevention TV YouTube site, at www.youtube.com/InfectionPrevention, where you can find informational videos including the full archived presentations of ASP’s first five Webinar series installments. For the most up to the minute information from ASP, you can also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ASPJJ and like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ASPJJ.

For more information about these additional resources, please visit www.ASPJJ.com/alternatives.