Damaged or dirty ultrasound probes have been linked to infections and injuries among patients. This webinar discusses strategies for identifying ultrasound processing and maintenance issues. The presenters will provide examples of issues related to probe inventories and discuss case studies illustrating environment-of-care and processing issues discovered by sterile processing managers and infection preventionists during visits to departments. Participants will receive tips for elevating the standard of care and engaging internal stakeholders to manage risk.

Objectives:

By the end of this one-hour webinar, participants will be able to:
    • Provide an overview of real-world challenges related to the cleaning and disinfection of ultrasound probe systems
    • Describe basic strategies for identifying ultrasound processing and maintenance practices
    • Explain how sterile processing department (SPD) managers and infection preventionists (IPs) recognized and addressed ultrasound-related quality issues 

Instructors

Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH
President and CEO, Ofstead & Associates, Inc.
Cori Ofstead is an epidemiologist with 30 years of experience designing and conducting studies about the impact of clinical processes on patient outcomes. She has served as the Principal Investigator on numerous studies related to infection prevention, instrument reprocessing, and vaccination against infectious diseases. Ms. Ofstead is nationally recognized for her groundbreaking research, and her studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals including CHEST, AJIC, ICHE, Journal of Hospital Infection, Endoscopy International Open, Urology, Journal of Wound Care, Gastroenterology Nursing, and Vaccine. She currently serves as a reviewer for AJIC, The Journal of Hospital Infection, Endoscopy, and the Journal of Urology, and is an active member of the editorial board for AJIC. She has presented the findings of her studies at national and international conferences sponsored by the CDC, APIC, HSPA, AORN, SGNA, AGA, ASGE, and several universities. 

Abby G. Smart, MPH 
Senior Research Associate, Ofstead & Associates, Inc. 
Abby Smart, MPH joined the Ofstead & Associates team in 2019, where she participates in real-world studies and conducts surveillance of peer‐reviewed evidence and government reports. She has developed CE courses and YouTube videos on infection control topics. Her recent work focuses on surgical instrument, flexible endoscope, and ultrasound probe processing and inspection. She was a co‐author on manuscripts related to instrument processing published in AJIC, BI&T, Urology, Journal of Medical Virology, and HSPA’s PROCESS magazine. Abby has experience in a variety of research settings, including a developmental psychology research group and virology and chemistry labs where she conducted analysis for public health and environmental research.