Are IFUs all you need to observe?

Another item that I see referenced in surveys with increasing frequency are those relating to organization’s not being able to clearly demonstrate that they are managing their whatevers in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions for use (IFUs). While I do think there is a little bit of artifice in chasing this as an overarching pursuit (I mean really – how many IFUs could there be in any one organization – certainly more than I have fingers or toes, or cells…lots of potential for gaps), I suppose at some point, you have to start with the folks who brought the product/device/etc. into the world. But sometimes those “instructions” are less instructive than one might prefer.

And then there are those instances in which the IFUs might not be enough to appropriately manage things from a practical standpoint—which reminds me of something I heard a few years back regarding a physical environment surveyor who was (supposedly) penning a white paper on the appropriate management of ice machines because the IFUs for the devices did not provide the appropriate level of support for that activity.

While we can certainly acknowledge (and accept) the usefulness of ice machines, if any of you have ever had operational responsibility for maintaining these lovelies, you will know that they are among the most frustrating of things to deal with across an organization. They are difficult to keep clean inside and out; depending on your water quality, you may have to deal with all sorts of “blemishes,” with the end result being that sometimes there’s nothing more that you can do to maintain (sanity).

Now, certainly ice machines are not among the things one would consider to be “cheap and plentiful,” so the question becomes what lengths must one endure in order to keep them fresh and productive. And, pulling in the proclivities for issues with ice machines to be cited under the management of infection control utility systems components, you can get into some fair trouble during survey if they are not pristine. At any rate, I don’t have any easy answers on this one, but I am curious as to how successfully you’ve navigated the ice machine challenge. Please do share!

About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a safety consultant with The Greeley Company in Danvers, Mass. He brings more than 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is the author of HCPro's Hospital Safety Director's Handbook and is contributing editor for Healthcare Safety Leader. Contact Steve at stevemacsafetyspace@gmail.com.