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Environmental Disinfection in Long-Term Care Facilities-A Scoping Review
Yinan He1, Wing Sum Lo2, Pak Leung Yuen3
1Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Lui Che Woo Clinical Sciences Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Microorganisms
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Automated disinfection in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) shows promise for reducing environmental contamination. However, current evidence does not consistently prove clinical benefits, necessitating further research.
Area of Science:
- Infection Prevention and Control
- Environmental Hygiene
- Healthcare Epidemiology
Background:
- Long-term care facility (LTCF) residents face high risks of healthcare-associated infections due to frailty, dementia, and communal living.
- Environmental contamination is a significant factor in pathogen transmission within LTCFs.
- Evidence on novel no-touch automated disinfection technologies in LTCFs is limited compared to hospital settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review of recent environmental disinfection interventions in LTCFs.
- To summarize the effectiveness and implementation considerations of these interventions.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review adhering to the PRISMA-ScR Checklist was performed.
- Searches included PubMed, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus for relevant observational or experimental studies.
- Studies focused on environmental disinfection in LTCFs/nursing homes, excluding specific interventions and settings.
Main Results:
- Seven studies met inclusion criteria, utilizing UV/UVGI and chemical disinfection methods.
- Some studies reported reductions in environmental or airborne microbial loads.
- UV-based interventions did not show statistically significant reductions in clinical infections; certainty was limited by study design and sample size.
Conclusions:
- No-touch automated disinfection may supplement standard infection control bundles in LTCFs for environmental decontamination.
- Consistent clinical benefits of these technologies remain unproven.
- Further rigorous, adequately powered trials tailored to LTCFs with standardized outcomes are required.
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