Innovative Health Advises Customers to Evaluate EP Cable Sterilization Protocols Amid Joint Commission Scrutiny

Following reports that the Joint Commission is cracking down on insufficient protocols related to in-house reprocessing of reusable cables, Innovative Health seeks to raise awareness of dangers of noncompliance and educate industry on proper cable handling.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 5, 2021 – In a recent alert to clients, Innovative Health, Inc. stated that it has received multiple reports of increased Joint Commission (JCAHO) focus on standards compliance associated with reusable cables used in electrophysiology (EP) labs across the country. In response to this heightened scrutiny, the company has committed to educating the industry on proper instructions for use (IFUs) of reusable EP cables, particularly when it comes to reprocessing.

“We have received reports from several of our hospital partners across different regions of the U.S. that the Joint Commission is ‘cracking down’ on Central Sterile departments that can't accurately track how many times an EP cable has been used and that don’t test and clean cables to manufacturer specifications,” said Innovative Health CEO Rick Ferreira. “The focus of the Joint Commission seems to be on confirming that cleaning methodology is standardized across device categories and follows the appropriate instructions for use from the manufacturer.”

The Joint Commission expects the hospital to follow the manufacturer’s IFU when reprocessing electrophysiology cables. Failure to do so can result in findings and ultimately loss of accreditation. Revenue loss and operational disruption are additional, indirect consequences.

As a result of the increased scrutiny and related potential consequences, Innovative Health recommends a thorough assessment of procedures related to EP cable reprocessing to determine that IFUs are followed and, specifically, that cables are tested when specified and counted for number of uses. In this regard, compliant tracking and tracing entails identifying the cable and recording unique barcodes and serial numbers, not simply marking a device.

Where needed, Innovative Health can help close the gap between Joint Commission standards and current practices. Lab managers with questions related to compliance can reach out to Innovative Health at info@innovative-health.com.

About Innovative Health

Innovative Health is an advanced medical device reprocessing company that offers smarter utilization of medical devices in hospitals’ cardiology and electrophysiology programs.