METHOD FOR DETERMINING HAND HYGIENE COMPLIANCE

• US 20130113931A1
• Filed: 11/06/2012
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2011
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: DEB IP Limited (SC Johnson & Son Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Deb Group Limited (SC Johnson & Son Incorporated)
• Inventors: Alper, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,277,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A hand hygiene compliance benchmark is determined for a target institution based on observations of hand hygiene opportunities in a studied institution and relationships between the number of observed hand hygiene opportunities and characteristics of the studied institution. The benchmark for the target institution is determined based on target institution characteristics and the relationships between institution characteristics and observed hand hygiene opportunities of the studied institution. The benchmark for the target institution may be adjusted based on direct observation of hand hygiene opportunities in the target institution.

Claims

1. A method for predetermining the benchmark number of hand hygiene opportunities for a target facility:

determining a study benchmark number of hand hygiene opportunities in a studied facility during an observation period;

identifying studied facility characteristics of the studied facility during the observation period;

identifying study relationships between studied facility characteristics and the study number of hand hygiene opportunities;

determining target facility characteristics for the target facility; and

determining a benchmark number of hand hygiene opportunities for the target facility based on study relationships and target facility characteristics.

2. The method for predetermining the benchmark number of hand hygiene opportunities for a target facility of claim 1 wherein the studied facility and the target facility are healthcare facilities.

3. The method for predetermining the benchmark number of hand hygiene opportunities for a target facility of claim 1 wherein study relationships are identified based on linear regression analysis.

4. The method for predetermining the benchmark number of hand hygiene opportunities for a target facility of claim 2 wherein studied facility characteristics include a ratio of the number of patients in the studied facility during the observation period to the number of nurses responsible for patient care during the observation period.

5. The method for predetermining the benchmark number of hand hygiene opportunities for a target facility of claim 2 wherein the study benchmark number of hand hygiene opportunities are based on one or more of the five moments of hand hygiene identified by the World Health Organization.

6. The method for predetermining the benchmark number of hand hygiene opportunities for a target facility of claim 1 wherein the studied facility and the target facility are food preparation facilities.

7. The method for predetermining the benchmark number of hand hygiene opportunities for a target facility of claim 6 wherein the study benchmark number of hand hygiene opportunities are based on one or more of the FDA recommended circumstances when a food worker should wash his or her hands.

8. The method for predetermining the benchmark number of hand hygiene opportunities for a target facility of claim 2 wherein studied facility characteristics include a case mix characterization of the healthcare activity during the observation period.

9. The method for predetermining the benchmark number of hand hygiene compliance benchmark for a target facility of claim 1 further comprising:

determining by direct observation the number of hand hygiene opportunities in the target facility;

comparing the observed number of hand hygiene opportunities in the target facility to the determined benchmark number of hand hygiene opportunities for the target facility; and

adjusting the benchmark to be consistent with the observed number of hand hygiene opportunities in the target institution.