North Texas Smartphone Contamination Initiative: Proposal to investigate the restroom cellphone use in medical students and healthcare professionals
| dc.contributor.author | Reynolds, Conner | |
| dc.contributor.author | Underwood, Jacob | |
| dc.contributor.author | Williams, Trevor | |
| dc.contributor.author | Nikocevic, Eldin | |
| dc.creator | Lindsley, Joshua | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2019-08-22T20:08:29Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2019-08-22T20:08:29Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2018-03-14 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2018-02-18T08:41:19-08:00 | |
| dc.description.abstract | North Texas Cellphone Contamination Initiative: Proposal to investigate the restroom cellphone use in medical students and healthcare professionals Authors: Joshua Lindsley, Jacob Underwood, Trevor Williams, Conner Reynolds, Eldin Nikocevic Situation: Preventable medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States annually, accounting for 251,000 lives annually. Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) account for nearly 40% of this population, costing the healthcare system $28.4-33.8 billion each year. Background: The rising prevalence of smartphone use has prompted their investigation as potential vectors for infectious transmission in healthcare. Although sophisticated reference applications may be invaluable to healthcare professionals, these smartphones are easily contaminated and rarely disinfected. One potential source for significant smartphone contamination is use in restrooms. Little empirical research investigated this proposition. However, according to several crowd-sourced population surveys, the pervasiveness of restroom smartphone usage ranges from 61-75%. Assessment & Proposed Solution: Given the diverse microbial biogeography found in public restrooms, smartphone usage is an alarming health concern. Through targeted surveillance of medical students and healthcare workers, the proposed study will be the first investigate the linkage between restroom smartphone usage and subsequent contamination. We will also follow previously designed protocols demonstrating that bacteria can be aerosolized and contaminate nearby objects, and apply this principle to mobile phones contamination. The results of this study have potential to impact health policy aimed at reducing the spread of HAIs, significantly improving quality and safety for patients nationwide. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12503/27892 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.provenance.legacyDownloads | 0 | |
| dc.title | North Texas Smartphone Contamination Initiative: Proposal to investigate the restroom cellphone use in medical students and healthcare professionals | |
| dc.type | poster | |
| dc.type.material | text |