Adhering to the ACORN Standards: Medical Company Representatives Achieving Best Practice

Presented by: Dr. Patricia Nicholson and Fiona Shipman

Presentation overview

•  Importance of ACORN Standards relevant to medical company representatives (MCRs) practice

•  Potential risks to patients and healthcare teams should MCRs contribute to direct patient care or contaminate the sterile field

•  Overview of the MTAA industry training program supporting MCR best practice by adhering to the standards.

Medical Technology Association of Australia

•  The Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA) is the national association representing companies in the medical technology industry.

•  MTAA aims to ensure the benefits of modern, innovative and reliable medical technology are delivered effectively to provide better health outcomes to the Australian community.

MRCs Providing Education and Support

•  Roles of MCRs include:

•  education on use of new technologies

•  ongoing support/guidance for the theatre team

•  sales and marketing.

•  Backgrounds from:

•  healthcare

•  science

•  business

•  sales and marketing.

Partnerships

•  Relevant guidelines and policies for MCRs include:

•  ACORN Standards

•  local healthcare facility guidelines

•  state-based policies

•  company protocols/policies

•  Medical Technology Industry Code of Practice.

Medical Technology Industry Code of Practice

Company Representatives: Clause 10.1 (c)

A Company must ensure that a Company Representative who attends procedures at the invitation of a Healthcare Professional complies with all relevant institutional requirements, standards, codes and all relevant Laws and Regulations

2015:25

2014-2015 ACORN Standards

•  Relevant standards for MCRs are:

•  Staff and Patient Safety

•  Management of Accountable Items Used During Surgery/Procedures in the Perioperative Environment

•  Asepsis and Clinical Care

•  Aseptic Technique

•  Infection Prevention

•  Perioperative Attire

•  Management and Staffing

•  Visitors to the Perioperative Environment.

Visitors to the Perioperative Environment

•  Visitors to the Perioperative Environment, S1 states:

“The HCF shall develop clear policies for the management of visitors to the perioperative environment...”

“…visitors shall receive instruction or be able to provide evidence of education…”

Visitors to the Perioperative Environment

•  Education is an important step in ensuring the safety of patients and the team in the OR.

Visitors to the Perioperative Environment

Important considerations:

1.  Prior approval from the Nurse Manager to enter the theatre

2.  Patient consent

3.  Wearing P.P.E

4.  Theatre etiquette

Visitors to the Perioperative Environment

5.  Patient privacy

6.  Contaminating the sterile field

7.  Handling of sterile product

8.  Routine social hand wash.

Risks

•  For patients •  sub-optimal care •  infection control •  confidentiality/privacy.

•  For health team/facility •  risk of litigation •  infection control.

•  For MCR/company •  breach of scope of practice •  infection control •  self-care •  particular issues for

ex-nursing staff.

Patient privacy and confidentiality

•  Doctors, hospitals and health services have to be very careful about how they collect, store and provide access to patient records.

•  They also have to be very careful about what information they give out about a patient.

•  Consequently, appropriate policies and procedures to guide their staff are essential.

•  While visiting on-site, MCRs are expected to comply with those policies and procedures.

•  For example, when a healthcare professional has patient permission to share information with an MCR, the MCR cannot pass it on to any other third party without consent from the patient.

•  MTAA offers MCRs training in patient privacy and confidentiality around eight of the thirteen relevant Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

Operating Theatre Protocols Training

•  The MTAA program of learning has been developed by nursing and education experts.

•  There has been input from ACORN, industry and state health departments.

•  The training program has been reviewed by ACORN Education Committee and approved by the Board.

•  Each module has been accredited with CPD for MCRs who are a registered nurse.

Operating Theatre Protocols Training

•  Two modules are available for MCRs:

•  1.5 Introduction to Operating Theatre Protocols (full day face-to-face)

•  1.6 Operating Theatre Protocols Update (self-paced online)

Assessments

•  Participants that register for module 1.5 Introduction to Operating Theatre Protocols training complete a practical hand washing assessment and written assessment.

•  A minimum of 90% for each assessment is required to complete the training.

•  Module 1.6 Operating Theatre Protocols Update has a series of quiz questions for each topic.

Assessment sample questions

Removes jewellery except wedding bands  

Checks hands and fingers for cuts and abrasions and takes appropriate action  

Turns tap on and adjusts flow to lukewarm water  

Wets hands holding fingers higher than wrists  

Applies soap  

Creates visible lather  

Using friction and circular movements, lathers all surfaces, commencing with palms, front and back of hands, tips and back of fingers, thumbs and then wrists  

Rinses hands under running water starting with wrists, with fingers held higher than wrists  

Thoroughly dries all surfaces of hands with paper towel, including between fingers  Turns off water using paper towel to grasp hand-operated control.  

Assessment sample questions

Question   Check box to indicate correct answer to each question  

1. As an MCR, your access to the perioperative environment is:

 

a.  at the discretion of the registered nurse in charge or their delegate

b.  in consultation with the medical practitioner

c.  in accordance with the policy of the healthcare facility

d.  all of the above.  

2. As you are not directly involved in patient care, it is not necessary for you to practice hand hygiene.  

a.  True

b.  False  

MTAA ID Card

Number of training offerings

•  Since the release of the 2014-2015 standards training program, the number of training sessions scheduled for module 1.5 has been:

Sydney Brisbane Melbourne Perth

August 2014 3 1 1 0

2015 6 2 2 1

OTP training in 2014-15 standards

•  Since the release of the current standards training in May 2014:

•  84 participants have completed module 1.5 face-to-face to date

•  921 have registered for module 1.6

•  566 participants completed the Summary of Changes online module highlighting changes between editions 2012-13 and 2014-15 by end November 2014.

OTP training in 2012-13 standards

•  Training during the 2012-13 edition:

•  157 participants completed module 3.5 face-to-face

•  1216 completed module 3.6 online

•  618 participants completed the Summary of Changes online module highlighting changes between editions 2010-11 and 2012-13.

OTP training in 2010-11 standards

•  Training during the 2010-11 edition:

•  174 participants completed module 3.5 face-to-face

•  1035 registered for module 3.6 and 986 completed it

•  163 participants completed the Summary of Changes online module highlighting changes between editions 2008-2009 and 2010-11.

OTP training in 2008-09 standards

•  Training during the 2008-9 edition:

•  42 participants completed module 3.5 face-to-face

•  178 registered for module 3.6 and 175 completed it

•  The Summary of Changes module was not available.

Companies that have engaged in the program

•  To date, 72 MedTech companies have registered one or more staff to complete operating theatre protocols training in the 2014-2015 standards.

•  There are 52 registered companies that registered eligible staff to complete the Summary of Changes module

Feedback from participants

Module 1.5 face-to-face training

•  I liked the balance between theory and practical application.

•  I loved the hands-on aspect and in-situ learning.

•  The practical role plays and interactive learning environment were great.

•  Explanation of the processes, and tips and tricks to be successful was really valuable.

Feedback from participants

Module 1.6 self-paced online learning

•  I particularly liked the combination of video, audio, text, documents and website links as a great means of presenting the information for this update.

•  The scenarios were valuable to challenge my understanding.

•  I liked the self test checking along the way.

HCFs requiring training for visiting MCRs

21

0

0

1

1

3

1

0

Case study

•  Requirement for training brought about by incident caused by MCR

•  LHN decision for all MCRs to provide evidence of ACORN approved training

•  MCRs not let into theatres by nurse manager without evidence

•  No further incidents.

In conclusion

•  Maintaining standards is a two-way process

•  MCR & OR team must be aware of requirements

•  OR team must not expect or request activity outside scope of practice e.g.:

-  holding patient limbs for prepping

-  opening sterile supplies.

•  Collaboration is essential to ensure relevance and uptake.

Relevant training for MCRs entering HCFs

•  MTAA recommends that MCRs entering healthcare facilities also complete the following online training.

•  1.1 Healthcare Facility Protocols

•  1.2 Professional Conduct

•  1.3 Patient Privacy and Confidentiality

•  1.4 Infection Prevention

•  1.7 WHS Fundamentals

•  2.1 Introduction to the Code of Practice.

Acknowledgements

Thank you for listening.

•  ACORN

•  Perioperative Nurse Educators

•  Marg Butler (NSW) •  Michelle Love

(Queensland) •  MTAA.

For further information

Fiona Shipman Professional Development Manager MTAA E: pd@mtaa.org.au P: (+612) 9900 0650 W: www.mtaa.org.au