Methods and systems for obtaining more accurate compliance metrics

• US 10,276,029 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2015
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Moore, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, James J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/938,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20160140832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 hand hygiene compliance metric comprising:

providing an area entry sensor;

receiving a signal from the area entry sensor that is indicative of an area entry event by a person;

providing an area exit sensor;

receiving a signal from the area exit sensor indicative of an area exit event by a person;

determining a number of dispense events by receipt of signals from one or more dispensers;

determining a number of hand hygiene opportunities for obtaining dispense events that occur between an entry event signal and an exit event signal from one or more sensors;

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

wherein the number of hand hygiene opportunities is incremented by a value M, which is greater than 1 if the time between an entry opportunity and an exit opportunity is greater than a selected time period; and

providing a hand hygiene compliance metric that is a function of the number of dispense events and the number of hand hygiene opportunities.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of M is a function of the type of area where the entry event occurs.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of M is a function of the days a room is occupied.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of M is a function of the number of patients in a room or area.

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

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the entry event is a critical care ward.

7. A hand hygiene compliance monitoring system comprising:

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

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

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

wherein the dispense event occurs between the area entry event and the area exit event;

logic stored on a computer readable medium for determining a hand hygiene compliance metric, wherein the hand hygiene 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 hand hygiene compliance metric is a function of the time between the area entry event and the area exit event; and

wherein a variable M is used in calculating the compliance metric and M is increased by more than 1 if the time period between an entry event and an exit event is greater than a selected period of time; and

providing an output Cigna signal that is indicative of the hand hygiene compliance metric.

8. The monitoring system of claim 7 further comprising a badge, wherein the badge is associated with a caregiver.

9. The monitoring system of claim 7 wherein M is determined as a function of the type of area where the entry event occurred.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the value of M is a function of the days a room is occupied.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the value of M is a function of the number of patients in a room or area.

12. The monitoring system of claim 9 wherein the type of area is an area in a hospital.

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

providing an area entry sensor;

providing an area exit sensor;

providing a dispenser that provides a signal indicative of a dispense event;

obtaining a time stamped signal indicative of an entry event by a person from the entry sensor;

obtaining a time stamped signal indicative of a dispense event from the dispenser;

obtaining a time stamped signal indicative of an exit event by a person from the exit sensor;

determining a denominator 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 numerator that is a function of dispense events;

outputting a hand hygiene compliance metric that is a function of the numerator and the denominator.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the selected time is a function of the area where the entry event occurs.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the selected time is a function of the days a room is occupied.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the selected time is a function of the number of patients in a room or area.

17. The method of claim 13 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.