Thermal Technology Improves Handwash Compliance, Prevents and Reduces HAIs
Nearly 2 million people acquire HAIs, or hospital-acquired infections, in the United States each year – resulting in 100,000 deaths annually – according to The Infectious Diseases Society of America. HAIs also lead to more than $4.5 billion in excess healthcare costs, increase the average hospital stay from 4.5 to 20.6 days, and raise the average patient bill from about $30,000 to nearly $200,000, as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But hospitals and other healthcare facilities can take control and take steps to lower HAI occurrences, particularly involving what is vital in HAI prevention: proper hand hygiene.
Many HAIs can be prevented through effective handwashing and sanitizing measures. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), hand hygiene (HH) is the most effective single measure to prevent the transmission of healthcare associated pathogens, helping to eliminate microorganisms that can be picked up through contact with patients or contaminated equipment and then transferred to others.
The World Health Organization (WHO), however, reports that although healthcare facilities around the world have taken seriously the need to improve HH practices at the point of care, 35 percent of more than 2,100 facilities surveyed earned fewer than 250 out of 500 points in the WHO Hand Hygiene Self-Assessment Framework questionnaire – indicating HH to be basic or inadequate.
And while factors contributing to subpar handwash compliance range from lack of knowledge and technique to time constraints and a host of other wide ranging issues that institutions face, one fact remains certain: HH compliance must increase to reduce HAIs and associated illnesses and fatalities.
To encourage compliance, the WHO has identified “5 Moments for Hand Hygiene” – or those instances in which healthcare workers should carry out proper HH – to reduce the spread of HAIs:
- Before patient contact
- Before an aseptic task – any healthcare procedure in which added precautions are used to prevent contamination of a person, object, or area
- After body fluid exposure risk
- After patient contact
- After contact with patient surroundings
Similarly, the CDC has developed an instance-by-instance HH roadmap to disrupt the transmission of microorganisms to patients. Echoing guidelines set forth by the WHO are: before patient contact; after contact with blood, body fluids, or contaminated surfaces; and before invasive procedures. The CDC also stresses, however, the need to practice proper HH after removing rubber gloves, as wearing them is not enough to prevent the transmission of pathogens in healthcare settings.
Despite both organizations’ guidelines, however, less-than-favorable HH compliance rates and HAI rates indicate a need for facilities to take greater measures that increase patient safety.
Currently, methods such as direct observation and self-reporting are employed to enhance HH compliance, but results are known to be inherently flawed. Therefore, healthcare facilities are increasingly turning to technology to measure, report and boost compliance. However, some methods that track handwash behavior assume averages or exclude significant groups – meaning findings are equally lacking accuracy. Further, some methods can also cause stress for healthcare workers and patients who see such systems as intruding on privacy.
Enter Irisys’ Intelligent Handwash Monitor (IHM), a high-tech thermal solution that measures and increases HH compliance to help reduce HAIs.
Developed and deployed by Irisys, the IHM monitors the movement of physicians, nurses, technicians and other healthcare workers to identify key handwash opportunities that arise at the point of patient care – including those identified by the WHO and CDC – and compares those opportunities to actual handwash occurrences.
Non-intrusive thermal sensors installed at critical points throughout the healthcare facility monitor workers’ behavior. The system delivers comprehensive data to achieve a simple desired effect: boost handwash compliance and help prevent the spread of HAIs.
Demonstrating a Culture of Safety
Incorporating technology-based solutions like Irisys’ IHM into routine operations provides healthcare workers with a compliance “partner” – aiding in and encouraging behavior change while promoting a facility-wide, safety-first culture. Compliance partners can help support clinicians’ efforts in “doing the right thing” in terms of putting patient safety first and creating an environment conducive to lower HAI rates.
According to Anne Macmillan, business development director for Irisys Healthcare, this system monitors personnel behavior 24/7 without violating privacy.
“Our system does not employ some of the more contentious aspects of technology-based monitoring,” says Macmillan. “Ultimately, we are able to develop non-intrusive, user-friendly and pragmatic solutions based on an understanding of various clinical challenges.”
Approaching the practice of hand hygiene across an organization – from management to personnel – demonstrates high expectations, from unit to unit and beyond. The Irisys solution, combined with communication/education and reporting systems, results in an affordable, discreet technology that could cut infection rates – and save lives.
Currently, the IHM is under trial in the United Kingdom. In 2011, Irisys was awarded a two- year contract with funding from the Department of Health, the results from which are expected to prove Irisys’ IHM as a pivotal solution in the global effort to boost HH compliance – including in the United States.
And by allowing for seamless integration into hospital operations, data interfaces and systems to enhance patient safety and quality care – all while providing 24/7 surveillance and support – Irisys’ IHM thermal technology could very well be the wave of the future.
About Irisys
Irisys is a global innovator in award-winning technologies that make a significant, measurable impact on business efficiency and improve the quality of people’s lives.?Irisys is the global leader in people counting technologies and real-time checkout management solutions. Its infrared thermal imaging solutions are used by some of the world’s leading retailers to boost customer service, operational efficiency and profitability. Irisys pioneered the introduction of low cost thermal imaging cameras for industrial applications and its security technologies are predicted to transform the intruder detection market. Irisys healthcare solutions aim to make hospitals safer and cleaner, and improve home monitoring for the elderly and infirm.