Bag Technique: Best Practices for Managing the Home Care Bag

Home care clinicians have transported equipment and supplies to their patients' homes for decades using a bag that's been referred to as a "nursing bag" or "medical bag," among others. Regardless of what the bag is called, how it and its contents are managed is essential to prevent the transmission of potentially pathogenic microorganisms from one patient's home to another when making home visits. Bag technique is a component of the standard precautions implemented in home care and an essential practice that applies to all patients receiving in-home care, regardless of their suspected or confirmed infectious state. It is a strategy deployed of infection prevention and control measures to minimize the risk of the home care bag and its contents serving as a source for pathogen transmission. Properly managing the bag and its contents reduces the risk of pathogen transmission.