The right surface materials can help prevent infections, according to an article on the Health Facilities Management website.
Environmental services professionals are playing a greater role in selecting the surfaces for healthcare interiors.
Their input helps ensure that surface finishes will be easier to disinfect and won’t degrade under cleaning regimens.
The science of surfaces as carriers of infectious organisms is just maturing, the article said. Research has shown that microbes can live on “clean and disinfected” surfaces for days, weeks or months.