David Bellamy, Vice President of the World Federation of Hospital Sterilisation Sciences speaks at an international infection control conference held by Chợ Rẫy Hospital on October 14. —VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — As hospitals in Việt Nam modernise rapidly and strive for international accreditations, the Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) digital transformation is a key step in achieving international standards, experts said.

International standards are evolving to strengthen safety and compliance requirements, said David Bellamy, Vice President of the World Federation of Hospital Sterilisation Sciences.

Bellamy emphasised the critical importance of instrument traceability in patient safety and regulatory compliance, particularly in minimising infection risks.

Hospitals globally are adopting instrument tracking, artificial intelligence (AI), and analytics to ensure patient safety and operational efficiency, he said at an international infection control conference held by Chợ Rẫy Hospital on October 14.

Ageing populations, chronic disease, and elective procedure growth are driving more surgeries worldwide, resulting in more instruments being processed than ever before, he said.

Minimally invasive, robotic, and advanced endoscopic interventions require highly specialised instrument sets and need precise handling and tracking, he said.

Greater awareness of healthcare-associated infections highlights the need for robust reprocessing and traceability systems, he added.

Phùng Mạnh Thắng, head of Department of Infection Control at Chợ Rẫy Hospital, said that digital CSSD brings efficiency, improved patient safety and cost savings.

The application of digitalisation and AI to instrument management helps control infections more accurately, effectively and safely, Thắng said.

Challenges for the CSSD include the existence of many instruments, asynchronous devices, and techniques.

There are 450 sets of surgical instruments and the hospital performs an average of 150-180 surgeries a day, he said.

Along with the adoption of electronic medical records, Chợ Rẫy Hospital will integrate AI into the management software system, he added. — VNS