The Need for a Bright Medical Keyboard

Social, governmental and business pressures are driving the need for better prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections. There is wide agreement amongst epidemiologists and hospital infection control staff that the rates could—and should—be cut sharply.

Since computer keyboards are a frequently identified source of cross-contamination—as a result of point-of-care communications and automating patient records—we suggest you start at the entry level when you look to prevent and control HAIs.

The Medigenic high-speed data entry computer keyboard is ideal for any environment where bacterial contamination or cleanliness may be a concern. And its hygienic alert system will flash at defined intervals to promote good infection-control practices in any medical environment.

Medigenic Keyboard Comparison

To be effective in a medical setting, a medical keyboard must help 1) reduce bacterial cross-contamination, 2) make users lives easier or 3) make healthcare institutions more efficient. Advanced Input Systems has developed a smart medical keyboard that helps facilitate all three requirements. But importantly, the Medigenic keyboard safeguards against the spread of nosocomial infections—those originating or occurring in a hospital.

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Conventional Computer Keyboards Spread More than Words

Source: The Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing

The colonization rate for computer keyboards and mouse with potentially pathogenic microorganisms is greater than that of other user interfaces in a surgical ICU. These fomites may be additional reservoirs for the transmission of microorganisms and become vectors for cross-transmission.

Source: Infection Control Today

Information presented at the 15th annual Scientific Session of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America highlighted results of a study designed to determine the ability of bacteria to survive on computer keyboards. Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are capable of prolonged survival, with growths of the bacteria evident 24 hours after contamination.

Source: University of Pennsylvania survey, 2005

Consumers cite infection rates and cleanliness as two of the three most important factors when choosing a hospital, outranking other factors such as reputation and proximity.