How can disposable medical supplies improve safety while reducing costs?

Both reusable and single-use medical supplies have a place in the healthcare system, but when it comes to supporting sterile procedures that help reduce the rate of healthcare-associated infection (HAI), single-use medical supplies offer something that reusables cannot. some degree of certainty.

Reusable hospital supplies can limit healthcare costs and support a cleaner environment. However, the processing required to make reusable supplies free of contamination has multiple touchpoints. Inadequate reprocessing of medical supplies may leave body fluids and tissues that may expose the next patient to HAI.

Disposables are packaged sterile and only take as long as it takes to open the package. The total cost of using a single-use device is 10% lower than using a reusable device. Disposable medical supplies are associated with reduced setup time, reduced operating room time, and overall staff time.

Reusable medical supplies are an essential part of the healthcare system, tasked with reducing costs and waste, especially when the risk of infection is low. However, in high-risk areas where infection risks and costs are high, the use of single-use items should be prioritized.