Are Clarus Glassboards Really Clean? Science Says Yes
Clarus Glassboards are beautifully crafted with a sleek and clean-looking design, but are they truly cleaner than the average whiteboard? It’s not enough just to believe this is the case. We wanted to know for sure.
To answer this question, we enlisted the assistance of Dr. Sam Holmstrom, a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School with a Ph.D. in Pharmacology, and recent postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Holmstrom carefully designed and conducted an experiment comparing the cleanliness of Clarus Glassboards and traditional whiteboards.
For those who deploy Clarus Glassboards in a healthcare environment, the answer to this question is crucial. A clean space is non-negotiable. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), common staph and other bacteria contribute to the contamination of healthcare facilities every day. The CDC cites over 1.7 million Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAI) each year – infections that cause or contribute to 99,000 deaths.
That number is staggering, and it leads healthcare facilities to take extra measures to prevent the spread of pathogens, such as hand-washing and evidence-based architectural design, a proven method for reducing infections.
Putting Glassboards to the Test
In healthcare environments, furniture and fixtures must be designed without seams, must stand up to intense cleaning and most importantly, must be non-porous. Healthcare architects identify surfaces, doorknobs, sinks, floors and even call-buttons as areas of interest when designing for infection control. Because writing surfaces may present underestimated risk for the spread of infection, we were eager to study whether or not Clarus Glassboards would prove a better option than porous whiteboards.
We hypothesized the lack of porosity of Clarus Glassboards would allow for more effective sanitization compared to traditional whiteboards. To evaluate this hypothesis, an experiment was designed and performed by independent scientist and pathologist Dr. Holmstrom.
First, the base levels of pathogens were measured for both the Clarus Glassboard and a standard whiteboard. Next, the boards were exposed to artificially concentrated levels of pathogens. Finally, the boards were each cleaned with EXPO whiteboard cleaner and ammoniated Windex, with the bacteria levels measured using a novaLUM luminometer at each step of the cleaning process.
The Results Speak for Themselves
Following the two cleaning procedures, the whiteboard had a level of pathogens roughly 300% higher than the Clarus Glassboard and roughly 200% higher than the standard sanitary cutoff. In other words, the results of the experiment were proof of the theory we’ve had for years.
“After ammoniated Windex, the Glassboard was officially sanitary, while the whiteboard failed to achieve standard sanitary levels,” explains Dr. Holmstrom. “This suggests the traditional whiteboard may be unsafe in healthcare settings, especially where perfect cleaning techniques are lacking.”
Improving Patient Understanding, Never Compromising Cleanliness
Healthcare professionals enjoy using Clarus Glassboards because they improve patient understanding and engagement. Simple, yet extremely important communications, such as medication instructions, can be conveyed effectively with Clarus’ product, reducing the risk of drug misuse and improving recovery times. Often, patients interact with the Glassboards as well, to jot down questions or record important notes, which further enhances communication between clinicians and the people they’re treating.
After use, messages, dosage numbers, questions and instructions written on Clarus Glassboards can be easily wiped with no residual marking, or “ghosting,” left behind.
An industry leader in the space, Clarus is revolutionizing the way we communicate with a glass visual display system that outperforms traditional whiteboards. It is time for a change in your healthcare environment. Replace your outdated, porous, and potentially unsanitary whiteboards with Glassboards that are sleek, full erasing, and, of course, cleaner.
At Clarus, our design specialists will work with you to customize the optimal solution for your space with glass whiteboards, mobile Glassboards, Healthboards, and the accessories to pull it all together. Don’t compromise your communication and or safety with whiteboards any longer.
