How will a washer disinfector improve your practice?

The desire for efficiency, safety and consistency fuels the advancement of technology. That technology then fuels the advancement of our service industries, and with it the ability to offer next-level care and assurance. In the dental industry, this is exemplified by washer disinfectors. Some practices might scrub their instruments by hand; and while it’s a long-standing method, it simply isn’t the most efficient or reliable. Which is why washer disinfectors are fast becoming a requirement in dental and medical practices across Australia and New Zealand. Introducing one to your practice will add a great deal to the quality of care you offer both your staff and your patients.

Here, we set out five key benefits of the washer disinfector to help you assess whether it’s right for you. 

1. Efficiency and effectiveness combined

With a washer disinfector, your instruments are washed and disinfected properly with every cycle. Over an average hour-long cycle (although fast cycle machines can perform a full cycle in about 35 minutes), the machine automatically transitions from flushing and washing to rinsing, disinfecting and drying. At the end of each cycle you are assured all instruments have been flushed of difficult contaminants such as blood, tissues and bone fragments. They will have also been washed with detergents that preserve your instruments against degradation and disinfected thermally in water at temperatures of approximately 80-90 degrees Celsius. All of this, with minimal time or labour from your staff – so they are better able to focus on offering the highest level of care to your patients.

2. Staff safety made easy

Minimal contact with contaminated instruments means staff are protected from the risk of sharps injuries and eye splash incidents caused by manual cleaning and rinsing. Because the process is fully automated, the need for manual intervention is eliminated. All staff are required to do is load the instruments into the machine, and out again once they’ve been through the entire cycle.

3. Increased confidence from patient to practitioner

When you’re confident your instruments are as clean and sterile as they can possibly be, your patients will feel reassured too. You can be proud of the quality of service you’re providing, and they can feel safe in your care.

Informing patients of your disinfection and sterilisation process, and the technology you’ve invested in to improve their care will help further re-enforce their confidence.

4. Everything on record

Washer disinfectors keep accurate reprocessing records, making sure you have the confirmation of a successful clean at the end of each cycle. The machine provides a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’, and individual cycle data can be recorded, so paired with your sterilisation cycle records, everyone has visibility on the status of the instruments at any given time.

5. A service that’s up there with the world’s best

Correct reprocessing of all healthcare instruments is a vital component of a practice’s reputation and recognition in the industry. A washer disinfector supports compliance with Instrument Processing Procedures and conformity with AS/NZS 4187 for instrument reprocessing. It is essential for gaining full practice accreditation.

The integration of this technology not only helps compliance with industry standards, it helps promote your practice as one that’s progressive and world-class. Utilising the latest in state-of-the-art technology tells your patients, staff and industry cohorts that your offering is state-of-the-art too.

The choice is yours

If you decide a washer disinfector is a worthy inclusion in your practice, Optima has the full range of Steelco washer disinfectors available. The range extends from small bench-top washers up to large Hospital CSSD units – all of which are made in Italy to the highest of standards, and infinitely programmable to suit all healthcare practice needs. Steelco also have a comprehensive range of general and specialist application accessories, which makes for convenient integration through to long-term use.

The team at Optima are ready to help you integrate this vital technology into your practice. Give us a call and we can talk you through your options.

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