A clean exam table is the staple of any good doctor. If your exam table is dingy, gross looking, or run down, patients are less likely to trust you. They are also far less likely to come back again. However, keeping your exam table clean doesn’t have to be complicated.
We’ll give you a guide to get started maintaining the quality of your chair. Of course, you can create your own routine by adding or replacing steps to suit your practice. Just remember that keeping the chair clean not only makes it last longer, but also keeps your clients coming.
1. Disinfectant is Your Best Friend
No chair is sat on more than an exam chair (except maybe a toilet). There are constantly people flowing in and out of the office for different ailments and checkups. The high amount of people traffic leads to numerous germs and bugs flying around.
Because of this, you should always keep disinfectant in your office. Use it liberally at the beginning of each day, between patients, and before you leave the office for the night. You can never use enough disinfectant spray.
2. Disposable Papers are Necessary
During the actual examinations, you need to use disposable papers to cover the seat. Without them, your table loses quality rapidly. Plus, during examinations, body fluids, dead skin and germs can be left on the table. It’s extremely important not to expose your next patient to these.
Disposable papers don’t cost a lot of money, nor do they require a lot of maintenance. You just rip them off once the patient has finished and throw trash into a biohazard receptacle, then disinfect the seat.
3. Pillow Covers and Linens Should Be Replaced After Every Patient
A pillow is a good way to make patients more comfortable while doing the examination. However, pillows also collect germs. So, in order to give patients comfort while still being safe, pillow covers are a must. They are the perfect compromise between germ management and customer service.
Linens are important too because without them, patients would be completely naked during examinations. Nudity is an uncomfortable thing for a lot of people. Having something to cover a patient during an exam is necessary not only for the comfort level but also for the sanitary standards.
If a lot of unclothed behinds are sitting on your unprotected exam table, you can bet that table will get nasty really quickly.
Maintenance is Key
These are the most basic steps for keeping the exam table area clean. There are other steps that you can deploy depending on the individual practice. Cleanliness is different in every space: some procedures that worked in your residency might not work in your private office.
Just remember that the less an exam table makes direct contact with a patient, the better quality it will end up in after the examination is finished. Especially if there are bodily fluids involved.
