Methods and systems for improving hand hygiene

• US 10,636,321 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: O'Toole, Martin J., Mackay, David S., Hall, Jeffrey W., Slater, Jason M., Cross, Tamara M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US14/789,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20160005328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• Field of Search: 434262
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0076 Body hygiene; Dressing; Knot tying

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of methodologies of improving hygiene metric, methodologies of training observers, and software products for improving hygiene metrics are disclosed herein. An exemplary methodology of improving hand-hygiene includes obtaining data indicative of the number of opportunities for one or more users to obtain a dose of hand cleaner for a plurality of dispensers through an electronic monitoring system. In addition, the exemplary methodology includes obtaining data indicative of dispense events by the plurality of dispensers through the electronic monitoring system. The methodology further includes determining a metric for the one or more users as a function of the data indicative of the number of opportunities and the data indicative of dispense events and providing instructions for an observer to obtain observation data related to the one or more users as a function of the metric.

Claims

1. A method of improving hand-hygiene comprising:

obtaining opportunity data indicative of the number of opportunities for one or more users to obtain a dose of hand cleaner from a plurality of dispensers through an electronic monitoring system;

wherein the opportunity data is obtained via an opportunity sensor for determining the one or more users entered or exited an area and via one or more badges associated with the one or more users;

obtaining dispense event data indicative of dispense events by the plurality of dispensers through the electronic monitoring system;

wherein the electronic monitoring system comprises one or more opportunity sensors for determining the presence of the one or more users that are in the proximity of one or more dispensers and electronic circuitry associated with the plurality of dispensers for determining dispense events and transmitting dispense event data;

transmitting the opportunity data from the opportunity sensors and dispense event data using wireless communication circuitry to a central computer;

determining a first metric for the one or more users or one or more dispensers as a function of the opportunity data indicative of the number of opportunities and the dispense event data indicative of dispense events;

determining a need for observation data to be collected if the first metric is outside of a threshold or is trending in a negative direction;

providing instructions for an observer to obtain observation data that is in addition to the data obtained through the electronic monitoring system and is related to the one or more users or the one or more dispensers as a function of the first metric and a threshold or a trend;

wherein the observation data is data obtained by the observer physically observing the one or more users or the one or more dispensers; and

submitting the observation data to the central computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing instructions to an observer to obtain observation data is a function of a trend in the first metric.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the trend is an upward trend.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the first metric for the one or more users based on the observation data.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the first metric for the one or more users or the one or more users based on the observation data.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the compliance metric related to the one or more users or the one or more dispensers and the observation data for comparison.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the observer with data indicative of dispense events in real time.

8. A hand-hygiene monitoring system comprising:

a dispenser having circuitry for outputting a dispense event signal;

an opportunity sensor having a circuitry for outputting an opportunity signal;

one or more badges associated with one or more users;

a monitoring station, the monitoring station obtaining the dispense event signal from the dispenser and the opportunity signal from the opportunity sensor;

logic stored in memory in the monitoring station for determining a first metric as a function of the dispense event signal and the opportunity signal and for comparing the metric to a threshold or a trend;

logic for providing instructions to observe one of a dispenser location and the one or more users as a function of the metric is trending in a negative direction;

a portable device having circuitry configured to receive observation data input from an observer physically observing the dispenser location or the one or more users and circuitry for outputting an observation signal as a function of the observation data;

the monitoring station further having a receiver for receiving the dispense event signal, the opportunity signal and the

observation signal; and

the monitoring station further having a display for displaying information that is a function of the dispense event signal, the opportunity signal and the observation signal.

9. The hand-hygiene monitoring system of claim 8 further comprising logic for calculating a metric that includes data from a plurality of dispense event signals, a plurality of opportunity signals and one or more observation signals.

10. The hand-hygiene monitoring system of claim 8 wherein a second metric is generated as a function of the observation signal.

11. The hand-hygiene monitoring system of claim 8 further comprising a user identification device.

12. A method of improving hand-hygiene comprising:

obtaining opportunity data from an opportunity sensor that one or more users are in proximity of a dispenser;

identifying the one or more users via a badge;

obtaining dispense event data relating to use of the dispenser by the one or more users wherein the dispenser includes circuitry for outputting a the dispense event data;

transmitting the opportunity data to a central computer;

transmitting the dispense event data to a central computer;

determining whether the dispense event data relating to the use of the dispenser by the one or more users is outside of a threshold or is trending in a negative direction; and

if the dispense event data is outside of a threshold or is trending in a negative direction, providing instructions for an observer to obtain observation data that is a function of the observer observing the one or more users.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein providing instructions to an observer to obtain observation data is a function of a trend in a metric derived from the opportunity data and dispense event data.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein providing instructions to an observer to obtain observation data is a function of a metric being outside of a threshold.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing instructions to the one or more users based on both the determined metric and the observation data.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing a signal initiated by the observer to encourage one or more users to change a behavior.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising comparing the electronically obtained data to the observation data and determining one or more reasons the data from the electronically obtained data is different than observation data.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising displaying a metric based on the electronically obtained data and the observation data for comparison.