Healthcare costs continue to rise leaving many healthcare organizations to wonder how they can continue to operate efficiently without compromising the quality of healthcare they provide. One of the many areas that creates a drain on healthcare costs is linen loss. Linen loss involves the disposal or disappearance of a towel, sheet, or another item before it has reached the end of its life use.
About 90% of linens are being disposed of or disappearing before their end of life use. Linen loss costs an estimated $840 million a year to the United States health system. If linen loss decreases, both organizations and patients will save money without compromising care. Take the following steps to reduce linen loss in your business.
Linen Audit
Conduct a linen audit with your linen provider to determine where your linen loss is occurring. Every organization is different in where they lose the most linens. Many healthcare linen services offer a way to track the number of items brought in and out, and can customize plans specific to your needs.
Educate Staff About The Costs of Linen Loss
Once you understand where your linen loss is coming from, the best preventative action is to educate staff about the costs of linen loss and the various healthcare linen products in your company. Also, discuss the differences between home and commercial washing–home cleaning is less likely to eliminate all blood born pathogens.
Increase The Number Of Labeled Baskets For Soiled Linens
In many cases, soiled linens get thrown in the trash or biohazard waste because there aren’t other options nearby for getting rid of soiled linens. Increasing the number of labeled bins specific to dirty clothes will decrease the likelihood of those items being thrown in the waste basket before their end of life use.
Wilkins Linen Can Help Reduce Your Linen Loss
Healthcare is expensive, and it’s important to find ways to eliminate costs without compromising patient care. Wilkins Linen can help your facility reduce linen loss, which will save you money. Contact us today for help with your medical linen management–our team has the industry experience and knowledge to cut costs for your operations budget.
