Table 2 An outline of the hygiene standard (Our excerpt and translation based on the handbook)

Purpose

 To prevent patients, relatives and staff from contracting infections in the clinic and from the reuse of equipment and materials.

Standard content

 The standard presents four areas and describes the requirements for each area: cleaning of premises and fixtures, medical equipment and reusable materials, hand hygiene, infectious patients. For example, for medical equipment and reusable materials the requirements are:

 “The clinic has procedures for cleaning and storing medical equipment and reusable materials. Applied equipment must be cleaned in accordance with regulations issued by the supplier, The National Board of Health or other relevant actors. Sterile equipment and products should be stored properly to avoid contamination and exceeded expiry dates. Control of equipment for sterilization and cleaning of medical devices must be recorded in, for example, a logbook.”

Indicators

 Six indicators are provided. For the area of medical equipment and reusable materials, the indicator is:

 “During interviews with the GP and practice staff they can explain procedures for cleaning and storing medical devices and reusable materials.”

References

 For the whole standard eleven references are provided; the title and edition of ten different guidelines and the edition of the collective agreement for GPs.