A national, cross-sectional survey of children's hospital-based safety resource centres

OBJECTIVE

To describe the location, staffing, clientele, safety product disbursement patterns, education provided and sustainability of safety resource centres (SRCs) in US children's hospitals.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was distributed to children's hospital-based SRC directors. Survey categories included: funding sources, customer base, items sold, items given free of charge, education provided and directors' needs.

RESULTS

32/38 (84.2%) SRC sites (affiliated with 30 hospitals) completed the survey. SRCs were in many hospital locations including lobby (28.1%), family resource centres (12.5%), gift shop/retail space (18.8%), mobile units (18.8%) and patient clinics (12.5%). 19% of respondents reported that their SRC was financially self-sustainable. Sales to patients predominated (mean of 44%); however, hospital employees made up a mean of 20% (range 0-60%) of sales. 78.1% of SRCs had products for children with special healthcare needs. Documentation kept at SRC sites included items purchased (96.9%), items given free of charge (65.6%) and customer demographics (50%). 56.3% of SRCs provided formal injury prevention education classes. The SRCs' directors' most important needs were finances (46.9%), staffing (50%) and space (46.9%). All of the directors were 'somewhat interested' or 'very interested' in each of the following: creation of a common SRC listserv, national SRC data bank and multisite SRC research platform.

CONCLUSIONS

SRCs are located in many US children's hospitals, and can be characterised as heterogeneous in location, products sold, data kept and ability to be financially sustained. Further research is needed to determine best practices for SRCs to maximise their impact on injury prevention.

Retail renaissance

FINANCE: Hospital gift shops are reinventing themselves as booming retail operations. FINANCE: The AHA's report on the capital crisis' impact on hospitals.

Listeria outbreak associated with sandwich consumption from a hospital retail shop, United Kingdom

An outbreak of listeriosis occurred in the Swindon area of the UK in autumn 2003. Five cases were detected in pregnant women. Four of these women were thought to have eaten prepacked sandwiches from a retail outlet in one particular hospital. Sampling at the supplier detected Listeria monocytogenes, which was indistinguishable on molecular testing from the patients isolates. Recent changes in UK food legislation should help diminish the risk of further outbreaks/cases such as ours occurring.

Hospital hairdresser as a potential source of cross-infection with MRSA

Following medical staff concerns about patients screening positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from the hairline site only, it was suggested that the hospital hairdresser could be a possible source for cross-contamination. Analysis of her procedures and decontamination practices confirmed her to be a potential source. Swabbing of her equipment after a day's session with her normal cleansing practice revealed the presence of MRSA, confirmed by phage typing as an epidemic strain within the hospital. This provided putative evidence for a vehicle of transmission. A review of advice for hairdressers in hospitals was obtained from the literature and via a telephone survey of infection control nurses in London. A composite policy was produced for hairdressers attending MRSA-positive patients in hospital to minimize this potential risk.

Color management

In summary, color psychology is one of the most important, but most often neglected, forces in enhancing the image and profitability of the hospital gift shop. While many hospital gift shops may be updated and beautified with the purchase of costly equipment and the hiring of expensive design consultants, the effective use of color may be all that is necessary to change the shop atmosphere. In addition, color is extremely inexpensive and flexible; it can be changed easily, in lieu of moving heavy displays and fixtures, rewiring, or remodeling. Finally, color is powerful. In an age of intense competition and rapidly expanding technology, color is one design tool that can make a difference.