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Press Release
IAHCSMM Speaks at Senate Committee Hearing on Reuse
For
immediate distribution - July 5, 2000
CHICAGO – The International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management had yet another opportunity to voice its opinion on the reprocessing and reuse of single-use medical devices—this time on Capital Hill before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Anne Cofiell, who represents the Association on reuse-related issues, was one of only seven invited to give a written statement and speak before the committee on June 27. For five minutes, she had the floor—and the attention -- of Senators James Jeffords, Edward Kennedy and Christopher Dodd.
“This was such a big opportunity for IAHCSMM, especially considering there were only seven witnesses invited to give a statement,” she said. “Any time we get an opportunity to get our position out there is great for the Association. It was quite an honor to be included.”
The six other
speakers covered virtually every angle of the reprocessing and reuse
debate, ranging from government officials and physicians to corporate
representatives from reprocessing and disposable device manufacturing
companies.
GAO
report cited
Although IAHCSMM’s statement to the Senate Committee did not differ significantly
from previous meetings on reuse, Cofiell had the opportunity to cite some additional
documents to help support the Association’s position.
The June 20 report on single-use medical devices from the U.S. General Accounting Office was one of them. The report, entitled “Single-Use Medical Devices: Little Available Evidence of Harm from Reuse, but Oversight Warranted,” oversimplified the steps needed to perform the practice properly, according to Cofiell.
More specifically, she said the statement in the report that read “reprocessing involves cleaning and sterilizing a device and verifying that it functions properly” further highlights the lack of understanding on how complicated reprocessing really is.
“It sounds as simple as one, two, three, and it’s done. We would love to have it that way, and if it were, we would not have the situation we have right now,” she told the committee.
She continued by outlining the intricacies involved in the process, including the very first step—cleaning.
“There are [more than] 6,000 hospitals in the United States. If only 20%, and we know the number is much higher, are reprocessing single-use devices, then 1,200 hospitals are out there doing their own thing. The materials used in these devices are different. They need to be tested,” she noted. “Regulation should bring out the quality system that is needed to ensure a quality product.”
But even the Association—which fully supports additional FDA oversight—understands that implementing and enforcing tighter regulations won’t be easy.
Still, IAHCSMM stands firmly in its belief that additional oversight is key to improving the quality of reprocessing practices.
“We do not know if the implementation of the FDA regulation will go smoothly. No doubt, it is going to be difficult,” Cofiell said. “[But] we feel the time is now. It is the right thing to do and IAHCSMM is looking forward to it happening.”
About
IAHCSMM
The International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management
is a premier association for professionals in healthcare central service/materiel
management. IAHCSMM provides structured educational opportunities, professional
development and a forum for information exchange to more than 8,000 members.
