Method and system to monitor hand hygiene compliance

• US 8,196,810 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allegheny-Singer Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Allegheny-Singer Research Institute
• Inventors: Sahud, Andrew Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US12/851,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20110046921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

A system which allows healthcare providers to monitor hand hygiene compliance includes a data reader adapted to be worn by a healthcare provider. The system includes a portal trigger disposed at each door portal of a patient room which activates the reader to record an entrance event when the provider enters the patient room. The system includes a dispenser trigger disposed at each cleaning dispenser having cleanser in or at the entrance of each patient room which activates the reader to record a dispensing event when the provider causes the dispenser to dispense cleanser, the reader having a display which displays a number of dispensing events and a number of entrance events. A method which allows healthcare providers to monitor hand hygiene compliance. A system which allows a person to monitor hand hygiene compliance. A method for allowing a person to monitor hand hygiene compliance.

Claims

1. A hand hygiene compliance monitoring system comprising:

a data reader having a display, a memory and a transmitter configured to transmit data from the memory in response to external interrogation;

a portal trigger configured to cause the reader to record an entrance event in the memory in response to a person entering a room with the reader; and

a dispenser trigger configured to cause the reader to record a dispensing event in the memory when the person causes a cleaning dispenser to dispense cleanser,

wherein the display displays a number selected from the group consisting of a number of dispensing events, a number of entrance events, a ratio of dispensing events to entrance events, a ratio of entrance events to dispensing events and combinations thereof.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data reader is a component of a pager or an identification tag.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data reader further comprises a port configured to allow download of data from the memory.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an additional data reader also comprising a display and a memory, wherein each reader only records a dispensing event associated with the person having the corresponding reader.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the data reader comprises an electronic lock;

the portal trigger is configured to generate a first electronic key when the person enters the room and to activate the lock such that the reader records the entrance event; and

the dispenser trigger is configured to generate a second electronic key to activate the lock such that the reader records the dispensing event when the person causes the dispenser to dispense cleanser.

6. A method of monitoring hand hygiene compliance, comprising:

in a system comprising at least one dispenser having a dispenser trigger, a portal trigger, and a data reader having a memory, a display and a transmitter configured to transmit data from the memory in response to external interrogation;

in response to the data reader entering a room, causing, by the portal trigger, the data reader to enter an activated state and record an entrance event in the memory;

in response to one of the dispensers dispensing cleanser while the portal trigger is in the activated state, causing, by that dispenser'"'"'s dispenser trigger, the data reader to enter a finalized state and record a dispensing event in the memory; and

displaying on the display, a number selected from the group consisting of a number of dispensing events, a number of entrance events, a ratio of dispensing events to entrance events, a ratio of entrance events to dispensing events and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, before the data reader enters into the activated state:

in response to one of the dispensers dispensing cleanser, causing, by that dispenser'"'"'s dispenser trigger, the data reader to enter an enabled state and record a dispensing event in the memory.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, after the data reader enters into the enabled state:

if the data reader remains in the enabled state for a predetermined period without recording an entrance event, automatically deactivating the data reader.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the room comprises a patient room, and the method determines whether a complete circuit of two hand washing events coupled with one room entry has occurred.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising, after the data reader enters the activated state:

if the data reader remains in the activated state for a predetermined period without recording an dispensing event, automatically timing out the data reader so that it records the entrance event without recording a corresponding dispensing event.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the room comprises a bathroom, and wherein only one dispensing event may be associated with each entrance event.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising electronically interrogating the memory.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising downloading, via a port of the data reader, data from the memory.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising reporting a number of dispensing events, a number of entrance events, or a ratio of the number of dispensing events and the number of entrance events.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the number of dispensing events, the number of entrance events, or the ratio is reported to an authorized individual when the ratio falls below a predetermined threshold.

16. A method of monitoring hand hygiene compliance, comprising:

in a system comprising at least one portal trigger, at least one dispenser and a data reader, the data reader having a memory, a display and a transmitter configured to transmit data from the memory in response to external interrogation;

causing the data reader to record a first dispensing event in response to a person with the reader causing the dispenser to dispense cleanser before an entrance event;

causing the reader to record the entrance event in response to the person with the reader entering a room within a predetermined period of time after the first dispensing event; and

causing the reader to record a second dispensing event in response to the person with the reader causing the dispenser to dispense cleanser after the entrance event; and

displaying, on the display, a number comprising a number of dispensing events, a number of entrance events, a ratio of dispensing events to entrance events, a ratio of entrance events to dispensing events, or a combination thereof.