Easily Disinfected Keyboard May Play Pivotal Role In Fight Against Germs In Hospitals
The keyboards, which have a covering that enables them to be scrubbed, wiped or sprayed clean, could help cut back on cross-contamination.
East Bay Times:
Oakland Innovators' Keyboard Could Save Lives
A computer keyboard developed in Oakland has the potential to save thousands of lives, earning Key Source International, the company that developed it, an award for innovation from the American Hospital Association. In U.S. hospitals every year, more than 100,000 people die from hospital-acquired infections, the company says. Computer keyboards, essential tools in the era of electronic record-keeping, are a potential major point of cross-contamination. The federal Centers for Disease Control pretty much confirms that figure, saying that health care-associated infections affect 5 to 10 percent of hospital patients annually, leading to 99,000 deaths and an estimated $20 billion in health care costs. (Hedin, 11/17)