Damaged or dirty endoscopes place patients at risk for exposures, infections, and injuries. Guidelines and standards recommend visual inspection with lighted magnification for every endoscope, every time. This webinar explains the tools and methods available for conducting visual inspections of endoscope exteriors, describes important aspects of endoscope anatomy, and provides real-world images of common defects found on a variety of endoscope models. 

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. 

Objectives
    • Discuss the clinical implications of damage and debris found on endoscopes 
    • Explain tools and methods for conducting visual inspection with lighted magnification
    • Describe several exterior defects that are commonly identified during visual inspections 
    • List recommendations for visual inspection of flexible endoscopes in current guidelines 
    • Describe risk assessment and quality improvement strategies for implementing visual inspection with lighted magnification