Of Mice and Superbugs

Too many of our public sector managers and politicians never miss an opportunity to give away work.

That is an unfortunate sign of our conservative times. Private corporations however aggressively seek ways to expand their business (and their profits) by seizing on emerging health care trends.

Earlier today we discussed how corporations use regionalization to get into the health care business. Now another example: an enterprising business trying to get in on the growing recognition that clean hospitals are an important part of the solution to hospital superbugs. Here's their pitch:

According to the American Journal of Infection Control, high rates of contamination have been recorded in National Health Services organizations, rising from 2% in 1990 to 43% in 2002. This rise in contamination rates may be reduced by implementing disinfection standards.

“Everything in a medical environment should be disinfected,” said Dave Huddleston, Econo-Keys operations manager. “Our keyboards provide an easy to disinfect solution for our customers and help them to avoid hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).”

Econo-Keys manufactures computer keyboards and mice designed especially for medical applications. These fully sealed devices are compatible with hospital grade disinfectant and can withstand multiple cleanings per day for use in hospitals, labs, and dental offices. Their slim dimensions fit onto carts, mounts, and wall stations.

It would be interesting to know how much effort is put into cleaning hospital keyboards and mice now. They are obviously high touch zones.

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