Tackling EMS Linen Loss
When it comes to patient care, hospitals and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) teams work together seamlessly to provide life–saving services. However, behind the scenes, a lesser-known issue quietly takes a toll on hospital budgets – the unintentional loss of linens. Though it may seem like a small detail, the cumulative effect of EMS transporting patients with hospital linens can lead to significant financial and operational impacts for healthcare facilities.
Linen loss in hospitals through the emergency room or transfers of patients typically happens due to multiple reasons:
- Pre-hospital providers, in their effort to deliver urgent care and stabilize patients, may not know about or deprioritize linen management during the chaos of emergency care and transport.
- While trying to expedite the response to the next emergency, the EMS unit takes more linen than they left at the hospital.
- EMS crews dispose of bloody or soiled linens in biohazard or trash.
- When patients are transferred to other facilities (i.e., Nursing Home, Long-term Acute Care Hospital) the hospital may supply linens for transport, but those linens remain with the patient or are left at the outside facility.
Mitigating Linen Loss
To mitigate this type of linen loss caused, hospitals and EMS teams can implement these strategies to address the issue effectively:
- Establish guidelines between hospitals and EMS crews regarding the proper handling and return of hospital linens.
- Work with an EMS liaison to educate the team about linen loss and the procedure of a one-to-one exchange program. Use HandCraft’s 1-minute YouTube video.
- Make linen hampers accessible in ambulance entrances.
- Ensure the EMS team is familiar with hospital protocols.
- Post signage to place all soiled linen in blue bags.
- Ensure biohazard bins and trash cans are labeled with appropriate signage not to dispose of linen in these containers.
- Provide only the necessary linens for EMS transport and keep that cart separate from hospital linen carts.
- While determining a discharge or transfer date, ask family members to bring in the patient’s personal clothes and blankets to avoid using hospital linen.
- Work with local EMS agencies to develop a formal linen return program. This can include establishing specific points of contact within each hospital to collect and return used linens from EMS crews in a timely manner.
- Work with the HandCraft team to conduct audits of linen use and loss to keep linen management in focus.
Tackling EMS linen loss is crucial for enhancing operational efficiency and minimizing financial impacts. By fostering open dialogue, both parties can align the importance of reducing linen loss and maintaining accountability. Joint efforts and strategic approaches will not only cut unnecessary expenses but also allow EMS and hospital services to concentrate on their primary mission – delivering the best possible care to patients.
Contact Handcraft for more information
If you are looking for the right partner to help prevent linen loss and decrease your linen loss costs, you found us. We have the experience, the industry-backed expertise, the technology and the professionals to help you achieve your goals. Remember to look at our HandCraft’s Linen Awareness Program – healthcare linen management strategies that save costs and improve service.
About the Author
Liz Barber, BSN, RN
Liz is a registered nurse with experience in clinical and non-clinical settings. She built her clinical expertise in Med-Surg and ICU. Beyond patient care, Liz has also served in Administrative Supervision, Quality Improvement, Employee Health, and Infection Prevention.
