On March 1, Life Balance Technologies was featured in an article in Healthcare Business Today about how technology can help hospitals can reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Healthcare facilities have been on the front lines of the fight against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and a major cause for concern is how to keep the highly contagious virus from spreading between infected patients and other patients, staff and visitors. As new information is released about the virus and how it spreads, hospitals have been updating their safety requirements and precautions. However, despite these protective measures, thousands of healthcare workers have contracted COVID-19 and the healthcare system continues to investigate ways to reduce transmission.
One way hospitals and healthcare facilities manage infection control is through the testing and balancing of their HVAC systems and air systems. By managing airflow and filtration, hospitals are able to create isolation areas with negative air pressure, which contain contaminated air and prevent it from circulating to rooms containing other patients.
However, as the Healthcare Business article points out, there are major gaps in the current systems and processes used for monitoring air conditions in healthcare facilities. Using the current methods, healthcare facilities will only test approximately 15-20% of a given facility to make sure it is meeting infection control parameters regarding airflow and air management. These tests are also conducted manually and can be time-consuming and expensive for hospitals, which leaves a lot of room for oversights and a false sense of security.
Life Balance co-founder Steve Manz was quoted in the article as saying, “building owners have invested billions of dollars in energy efficient systems to reduce their utility bills, but very few have invested in tools to maintain the airflow standards needed for a safe environment.”
There is much more that hospitals and healthcare facilities could be doing to monitor their air systems and manage infection control parameters. Life Balance is here to help with that. Our unique SāfAir technology analyzes 100% of a facility and provides reports more quickly and effectively than the standard methods, which allows healthcare facilities to track potential risks to staff and patients, and can reduce hospital-acquired infections such as COVID-19.
Life Balance Technologies helps hospitals and other companies easily analyze air quality conditions and effectively manage their HVAC systems. By streamlining the process for compliance, auditing, and reporting, we help reduce costs and save lives.