Although tremendous progress has been made to reduce the incidents of healthcare-acquired infections, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that HAIs account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year in U.S. hospitals alone.
Recently, Steelcase Health announced a new partnership with UK-based portable partition manufacturer KwickScreen to combat the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and better serve medical facilities with more diverse solutions. Since its foundation in 2011, KwickScreen has offered a range of safe, flexible and beautiful screens to mitigate HAIs in medical facilities. The screens enhance the safety of patients, caretakers and staff by providing greater infection control and flexibility than traditional hospital curtains.
KwickScreen designers worked with microbiologists to engineer these screens with a single touchpoint, making them easy to clean with standard medical cleaning products. Offerings include portable, retractable, fixed-to-wall, free standing and pop-up solutions, accommodating the various needs of healthcare facilities and allowing easy space reconfiguration on demand.
HAIs impact millions of people each year and exacerbate the already-overburdened system by making some patients even more sick and causing longer recovery times. According to the World Health Organization, 7% of hospital patients in high-income countries will acquire at least one HAI during their hospital stay. The statistic jumps to 15% of hospital patients in low- and middle-income countries. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributes HAIs to approximately 722,000 infections and 75,000 deaths each year in the U.S. alone, as well as $28–33 billion in excess costs.
Additionally, KwickScreen products bring life into what can be sterile and uninviting hospital environments – a need Healthcare professionals are increasingly seeking solutions for. Hospital visits often bring anxiety, especially for children and people in long-term care. Bringing artwork and other customized touches into spaces can help patients and caretakers feel more calm and comfortable during their stay. KwickScreen offers a wide range of artwork that can be applied to their portable screens. Screens can also be fully customized, allowing hospitals to use whatever artwork best suits their needs and puts their patients at ease.
KwickScreen joins the Steelcase Health community of brands, which creates solutions and spaces that lead to better health outcomes for everyone involved in the complex work of care. Through this partnership, KwickScreen products are now available for purchase through 270 Steelcase-authorized dealer locations throughout the U.S.
For more information on how this partnership is bringing beautiful solutions to healthcare spaces while supporting infection control and flexibility in new ways, visit steelcase.com/KwickScreen.
