Systems and methods for improving hand hygiene compliance

• US 6,975,231 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2002
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amron Corp. (Amron Group)
• Original Assignee: Amron Corp. (Amron Group)
• Inventors: Strauss, Kevin, Lane, Stephen, Coyne, Mary
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/052,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20030030562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/539, 340/603, 340/691, 340/661, 340/541, 340/567, 340/545
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• 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

A method and apparatus that systematically prompts staff, patients and visitors at care facilities to perform handwashing at critical time periods, for example after touching a toilet flush handle or upon entering or leaving a patient'"'"'s room. A plurality of detectors are used to sense whether a person has entered an area and to determine whether the person has cleansed their hands within a predetermined period of time before entering the area or leaving the area. If it is determined that the person has cleansed their hands within the predetermined period of time, no prompting message is generated. If it is determined that the person has not cleansed their hands within the predetermined period of time, an audio/visual warning message is generated.

Claims

1. A method of improving hand hygiene compliance, comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a computer database;

(b) determining whether any person entered a first area independent of whether the any person includes a sensor;

(c) determining whether the any person left the first area and entered a second area

(d) determining whether the any person washed their hands before leaving the first area;

(e) if it is determined that the any person washed their hands before leaving the first area, sending this information to the computer database;

(e) if it is determined that the any person did not wash their hands before leaving the first area, determining whether the any person washed their hands in the second area;

(f) if it is determined that the any person washed their hands in the second area, sending the information to the computer database;

(g) if it is determined that the any person did not wash their hands in the second area, generating at least one of a warning and a reminder; and

(h) if it is determined that the any person did not wash their hands after the at least one of the warning and the reminder is generated, sending the information to the computer database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating at least one of the warning and the reminder comprises the step of generating at least one of the warning and the reminder when after the any person enters the second area without washing their hands in the first area, a predetermined amount of time expires without the any person washing their hands in the second area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the warning signal and the reminder comprises at least one of an audio signal and a visual signal.

4. A method of improving hand hygiene compliance, comprising the steps of:

determining whether any person flushed at least one of a restroom toilet and a soil room waste disposer;

if the any person flushed the at least one of the restroom toilet, and the soil room waste disposer, determining whether the any person washed their hands within a predetermined amount of time after flushing the at least one of the restroom toilet and the soil room disposer;

if it is determined that the any person did not wash their hands within the predetermined amount of time after flushing the at least one of the restroom toilet and the soil room disposer, generating at least one of a warning signal and a reminder and sending this information to the central database; and

if it is determined that the any person did not wash their hands after the at least one of the warning signal and the reminder was generated, sending this information to the central database.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one of the warning signal and the reminder comprises at least one of an audio signal and a visual signal.

6. An apparatus for improving hand hygiene compliance, comprising:

means for detecting, wherein the means for detecting is configured to detect each of;

whether any person entered a first area independent of whether the any person includes means for communicating with the means for detecting; and

whether the any person left the first area and entered a second area independent of whether the any person includes means for communicating with the means for detecting;

means for determining whether the any person washed their hands before leaving the first area;

means for determining whether the any person washed their hands in the second area after leaving the first area; and

means for generating at least one of a warning and a reminder when the any person does not wash their hands in the second area after leaving the first area without washing their hands in the first area.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for detecting comprises an IR beam breaker switch.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the warning and the reminder comprises at least one of an audio signal and a visual signal.

9. A system for improving hand hygiene compliance, comprising:

means for determining whether any person flushed at least one of a restroom toilet and a soil room waste disposer;

means for determining whether the any person washed their hands within a predetermined amount of time after flushing the at least one of the restroom toilet and the soil room waste disposer;

means for generating at least one of a warning signal and a reminder when the any person flushes the toilet and does not wash their hands within the predetermined amount of time after flushing the at least one of the restroom toilet and the soil room waste disposer; and

means for transmitting to a central database information associated with whether or not the any person washed their hands after flushing the at least one of the restroom toilet and the soil room waste disposer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the warning signal and the reminder comprises at least one of an audio signal and a visual signal.

11. A method of improving hand hygiene compliance, comprising the steps of:

determining whether any person closed a door independent of whether the person includes a sensor, wherein the door divides a first area from a second area, the second area has at least one of a toilet and a waste disposer located therein, and the any person closed the door after entering the second area from the first area;

determining whether the any person flushed the at least one of the toilet and the waste disposer;

if the any person flushed the at least one of the toilet and the waste disposer, determining whether the any person washed their hands before opening the door to leave the second area;

if it is determined that the any person did not wash their hands before opening the door to leave the second area, generating at least one of a warning signal and a reminder and sending this information to the central database; and

if it is determined that the any person did not wash their hands after the at least one of the warning signal and the reminder was generated, sending this information to the central database.

12. A system for improving hand hygiene compliance, comprising:

means for determining whether any person closed a door independent of whether the any person includes means for communicating with the means for determining whether the any person closed the door, wherein the door divides a first area from a second area, the second area has at least one of a toilet and a waste disposer located therein, and the any person closed the door after entering the second area from the first area;

means for determining whether the any person flushed the at least one of the toilet and the waste disposer;

means for determining whether the any person washed their hands before opening the door to leave the second area;

means for generating at least one of a warning signal and a reminder when the any person flushes the at least one of the toilet and the waste disposer and does not wash their hands before opening the door to leave the second area; and

means for transmitting to a central database information associated with whether or not the any person washed their hands before opening the door to leave the second area.