METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR OBTAINING MORE ACCURATE COMPLIANCE METRICS

• US 20160140832A1
• Filed: 11/11/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Moore, Mark W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,276,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Exemplary embodiments of methodologies of obtaining more accurate compliance metrics are disclosed herein. An exemplary method of determining a compliance metric includes determining a number of dispense events and determining a number of opportunities for obtaining dispense events. The number of opportunities for obtaining dispense events is a function of the time between an entry event and a exit event, in addition, the compliance metric is a function of the number of dispense events and the number of opportunities.

Claims

1. A method of determining a compliance metric comprising:

determining a number of dispense events;

determining a number of opportunities for obtaining dispense events;

wherein the number of opportunities for obtaining dispense events is a function of the time between an entry event and a exit event; and

wherein the compliance metric is a function of the number of dispense events and the number of opportunities.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of opportunities is incremented by a value that is greater than 1 if the time between an entry opportunity and an exit opportunity is greater than a selected time period.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of opportunities is incremented by a value M if the time between an entry opportunity and an exit opportunity is greater than a selected time period.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the value of M is a function of the type of area where the entry event occurs.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the value of M is a function of the days a room is occupied.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the value of M is a function of the number of patients in a room or area.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the entry event occurs in an area of a hospital.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the entry event is a critical care ward.

9. A compliance monitoring system comprising:

an area entry sensor for providing a signal indicative of an area entry event;

an area exit sensor for providing a signal indicative of an area exit event;

a dispenser for dispensing cleaner and providing a signal indicative of a dispense event;

logic stored on a computer readable medium for determining a compliance metric, wherein the compliance metric is a function of the signal indicative of an area entry event, the signal indicative of an area exit event and the signal indicative of a dispense event; and

wherein the compliance metric is a function of the time between the area entry event and the area exit event.

10. The monitoring system of claim 9 further comprising a badge, wherein the badge is associated with a caregiver.

11. The monitoring system of claim 9 wherein the compliance metric is obtained by dividing the number of opportunities by the number of dispense events;

and

wherein the number of opportunities is increased by a factor of M if the time between an area entry event and the exit event is greater than a selected time.

12. The monitoring system of claim 10 wherein M is determined as a function of the type of area where the entry event occurred.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the value of M is a function of the days a room is occupied.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the value of M is a function of the number of patients in a room or area.

15. The monitoring system of claim 12 wherein the type of area is an area in a hospital.

16. A method of determining a hand hygiene compliance metric comprising:

obtaining a time stamped signal indicative of an entry event;

obtaining a time stamped signal indicative of a dispense event;

obtaining a time stamped signal indicative of an exit event;

determining a numerator value that is a first value if the time between the entry event and the exit event is greater than a selected time and a second value if the time between the entry event and the exit event is less than the selected time;

determining a denominator that is a function of dispense events;

calculating a compliance metric that is a function of the numerator over the denominator.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the selected time is a function of the area where the entry event occurs.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the selected time is a function of the days a room is occupied.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the selected time is a function of the number of patients in a room or area.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein a dispense event is not included in the denominator if the dispense event occurs after a selected amount of time after an exit event occurred.