Since fiscal year 2015, our hospital has conducted regular hospital inspections by a medical engineer (ME). About 1 year after the start of this inspection, fungi and common bacteria were detected, so we searched for the cause and report here successful cleanup of the incubator. When the incubator was cleaned during a periodic inspection, the ME discovered that dirt mainly adhered to the fan and the bed rest. Also, fungi were detected from the fans, so the ME cleaned and disinfected all the fans and then switched to a process of washing the central supply room. Following this process, bacteria were no longer detected from inside the incubator, but they have been consistently detected from the fans. We have no reported cases of patient infection, and we believe this is because the ME is responsible for periodic cleaning against bacteria and for conducting inspections. This demonstrates that successful cleaning of the incubator led to control of the spread of infectious diseases.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the behavioral intention scale for end-of-life discussions. Methods: The scale items were developed according to the Theory of Planned Behavior. The drafts of the scale were created by Item-Level Content Validity Index (I-CVI) and a preliminary test. In the main study, we administered a cross-sectional questionnaire on the web to the participants 20–79 years of age (n=860), living in Tokyo and six surrounding prefectures, and a retest one week later (n=665). We examined item analysis, calculation of a reliability coefficient (intraclass correlation coefficient, Cronbach's alpha coefficient), construct validity, and concurrent validity of the scale. Results: Six factors identified by an exploratory factor analysis were; outcome evaluation, perceived power, control beliefs, motivation to comply, normative beliefs, and behavioral beliefs. The alpha coefficient of the overall scale was .96. The effect size that was determined based on known-groups validity and the correlation coefficient determined on the basis of concurrent validity were moderate. Conclusions: The reliability and validity of the scale were generally confirmed.