SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POSITIVELY REINFORCING HAND-HYGEINE COMPLIANCE

• US 20090224924A1
• Filed: 07/01/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert B. Thorp
• Original Assignee: Robert B. Thorp
• Inventors: Thorp, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US12/165,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20090224924A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A system and method for increasing customer safety by directly involving customers and reminding and rewarding workers of hand decontamination compliance issues within a facility to include a plurality of positive-reinforcement hand-hygiene stations; stations that provide a conveniently-located choice of hand-hygiene products such as soap or lotion; personnel identification tags for workers in the facility; readers at the hand-hygiene stations capable of detecting the presence of worker identification tags; a controller for detecting whether a worker tag accessed a hand decontamination station; devices to visually and audibly prompt and/or educate a worker or customer in the use of the hand wash station; a device to give a visual and audible reward for using a station; a device to issue rewards; and a plurality of computers to manage the system.

Claims

1. An infection-reduction system for use in the field of health-care and other hygiene critical fields, the infection-reduction system comprising,

a hand-hygiene station,

the hand-hygiene station comprising a hand-hygiene identification system, an employee-identification system, and a reward system, wherein the employee-identification system activates only after the hand-hygiene identification system indicates that hands are being treated by an employee and wherein the reward system assigns a reward to the employee for using the hand-hygiene station.

2. A method for reducing infection in the field of health care and other hygiene critical fields, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether use of a hand-hygiene station has been used;

(b) if the hand-hygiene station has been used, determining whether an identifiable person is in range of the hand-hygiene station; and

,

(c) recording the use of the hand-hygiene station by the identifiable person.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of recording is performed by a computer.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of rewarding the user of the hand-hygiene station.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of rewarding is displayed on a monitor or screen.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of rewarding involves an audible commendation.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of rewarding further comprises checking the history of use of hand-hygiene station use and determining if a larger reward has been earned.

8. A system for a third party to visually and audibly observe use of a hand-hygiene station by a person in a hygiene critical field comprising:

a visual display of a predetermined graphical animation sequence, wherein the visual display is located in the direct line of sight of an third-party to a hand-hygiene transaction,

and a means for enabling the third party to prompt or question the hand-hygiene practices of a party to the hand-hygiene transaction before services are rendered to the third party.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a computer connected to the system to store information about the hand-hygiene transaction.