HYGIENE COMPLIANCE MONITORING

• US 20090273477A1
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Resurgent Health & Medical LLC
• Original Assignee: Meritech, Inc.
• Inventors: Barnhill, Paul R.
• Application Number:
  US12/432,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20090273477A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• 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

A system and method of monitoring compliance with one or more hygiene protocols is disclosed. Compliance requirements may be tracked or monitored from a remote monitoring center, or compliance data hub. The compliance data hub may be operable to monitor a plurality of hygiene protocols that are defined for a plurality of different facilities or enterprises.

Claims

1. An automated washing compliance verification system provided in association with a plurality of enterprise networks, the system comprising:

a plurality of washing stations each operable to wash an object, the plurality of washing stations being associated with the plurality of enterprise networks; and

a compliance data hub including a memory, the memory comprising;

(a) a data management module; and

(b) a plurality of electronic storage locations, each storage location being associated with a corresponding enterprise network and storing compliance data collected by at least one washing station in the corresponding enterprise network;

wherein the data management module is operable to produce a data management report including compliance data collected in at least one enterprise network of the plurality of enterprise networks, the compliance data including data regarding a movement of at least one person and hygiene related actions taken by the at least one person as a consequence of the movement.

2. The automated washing compliance verification system of claim 1, wherein each enterprise network has a corresponding unique enterprise identifier and wherein each storage location is associated with a different enterprise identifier.

3. The automated washing compliance verification system of claim 2, wherein each washing station has a corresponding station identifier, with each station identifier being unique in the enterprise network containing the washing station.

4. The automated washing compliance verification system of claim 1, wherein the compliance data comprises a plurality of different object identifiers and different protocol identifiers, each protocol identifier being associated with a different cleaning protocol.

5. The automated washing compliance verification system of claim 1, wherein the data management module is operable to provide the data management module report to a web user, the web user having supplied a valid password.

6. The automated washing compliance verification system of claim 1, wherein the data management module is operable to provide the data management module report to a compliance monitor.

7. The automated washing compliance verification system of claim 1, wherein the data management module reports one or more entries, the entries including at least one of:

an enterprise identifier;

a station identifier;

a user identifier;

a date;

a time;

a facility identifier;

a compliance monitor identifier; and

a compliance indicator.

8. The automated washing compliance verification system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of business enterprises include a first and a second business enterprise, the first and second business enterprise being separately owned.

9. The automated washing compliance verification system of claim 1, wherein each enterprise network includes a custom report module in communication with the data management module associated with the compliance data hub, each custom report module being enabled by a token imported from the compliance data hub, the token including at least one of:

a company name;

primary contact information;

secondary contact information;

number of licensed users; and

type of service supported.

10. The automated washing compliance verification system of claim 1, wherein the data management module is operable to provide an analysis of the compliance data, and based on the analysis, provide at least one alarm to at least one enterprise network.

11. The automated washing compliance verification system of claim 1, wherein the compliance data associated with a particular enterprise network includes data collected by a security system associated with the particular enterprise network.

12. The automated washing compliance verification system of claim 1, wherein at least one enterprise network includes:

an identification apparatus operatively associated with the first cleaning station,

the identification apparatus being operable to at least automatically identify the user when the user is within a predetermined distance from the cleaning station;

a cleaning station operations monitor operatively associated with the first cleaning station;

a memory associated with the cleaning station operations monitor, the memory comprising a compliance module in communication with the identification apparatus, the compliance module being operable to record data associated with use of the first cleaning station by the user; and

an administration computer in communication with at least the cleaning station operations monitor, the administration computer being operable to generate a compliance report based on at least a portion of the data associated with a user'"'"'s use of the first cleaning station and with a user'"'"'s movement throughout the facility.

13. The automated washing compliance verification system of claim 12, wherein at least one enterprise network includes:

a second identification apparatus not associated with any cleaning station.

14. The automated washing compliance verification system of claim 12, wherein a plurality of hygiene levels are defined for the facility, one or more of the hygiene levels having at least one predetermined hygiene requirement, hygiene zones associated with the facility being assigned a particular hygiene level indicating that persons within a particular hygiene zone are required to comply with the hygiene requirement associated with the particular zone, persons within the facility being assigned a particular hygiene level indicating their compliance with the hygiene requirements associated with the particular hygiene level;

and

wherein a particular person is notified of a potential violation of a hygiene protocol associated the facility if the hygiene level associated with the particular person is less than the hygiene level of a hygiene zone in which the particular person is located.

15. In a hygiene compliance verification system, a computer readable medium encoded with a set of processor readable data structures, the set of data structures comprising:

a first set of information identifying a hygiene compliance monitor;

compliance data required to be reported to the compliance monitor including data regarding a movement of at least one person and hygiene related actions taken by the at least one person as a consequence of the movement; and

reporting requirements associated with the compliance monitor;

wherein the data structures are used to produce a data management report including the compliance data.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the set of data structures further comprises:

a reporting frequency required by the compliance monitor.

17. The medium of claim 15, wherein the set of data structures further comprises:

location information, the location information identifying at least one of a geographical and geopolitical location monitored by the compliance monitor.

18. A method for reporting hygiene compliance, comprising:

determining automatically, by a processor, a geographic location information associated with a compliance monitor;

determining automatically, by a processor, a monitored entity identifier associated with the geographic location information, the monitored entity identifier being associated with at least one of an enterprise and a facility;

determining automatically, by a processor, hygiene compliance data required by the compliance monitor;

based on the hygiene compliance data required, providing, by a processor, hygiene compliance data associated with the monitored entity identifier including data regarding a movement of at least one person and hygiene related actions taken by the at least one person as a consequence of the movement;

determining automatically, by a processor, report requirements associated with the compliance monitor; and

forwarding, by a processor, the provided hygiene compliance data to the compliance monitor.

19. A method for performing hygiene compliance verification, comprising:

(a) receiving, by a processor, an object identifier;

(b) determining, by a processor, a cleaning protocol from a plurality of different protocols to be used on an object associated with the object identifier; and

(c) implementing, by a processor, the cleaning protocol in connection with the object including requirements regarding movement of persons and hygiene related actions to be taken by as a consequence of movement of persons.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the object identifier indicates that no cleaning is required.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein implementing the cleaning protocol includes:

(i) cleaning the identified object in accordance with the cleaning protocol; and

(ii) generating, by a processor, a compliant and/or noncompliant signal indicating compliance and/or noncompliance with at least part of the cleaning protocol.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the object identifier is associated with an object type identifier.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the object type identifier is indicative of a type of employee.

24. An electronic hygiene compliance verification data signal, the data signal being stored on a computer readable medium, comprising:

source and destination addresses;

hygiene compliance information including data regarding a movement of at least one person and hygiene related actions taken by the at least one person as a consequence of the movement; and

an enterprise identifier; and

a compliance monitor identifier.

25. The data signal of claim 24, wherein the hygiene compliance information comprises a station identifier.

26. The data signal of claim 24, wherein the hygiene compliance information comprises a user identifier.

27. The data signal of claim 24, wherein the hygiene compliance information comprises one or more of a date and a time.