Hygiene compliance system

• US 9,773,403 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2016
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Morgan, Matthew D., Lingenfelser, Joshua P., Smith, Bradley T., Saucier, Christian, Robinson, Andrew S., Wildman, Timothy D., Walton, Kelly F., Hamalainen, Hailey R., Perry, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akhter, Sharmin
• Application Number:
  US15/206,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20170032656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5731
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, a hygiene compliance system includes a handwash sensor, a badge, an occupant sensor, and a remote computer. The sensors and the badge may communicate with the remote computer to provide information regarding hygiene events. The hygiene compliance system determines whether the hygiene events comply with a hygiene operations scheme.

Claims

1. A hygiene compliance system, comprising:

a handwash sensor configured to transmit a handwash signal indicative of handwash device operation, at least one badge configured to transmit a signal, an occupant sensor configured to detect a number of persons in a predetermined proximity and to transmit an occupant signal indicative of the number of persons, and a remote computer configured to communicate with the handwash sensor and the occupant sensor;

wherein the remote computer determines a hygiene compliance rate based on the handwash signal and the occupant signal;

wherein the remote computer includes a processor and a memory device, the memory device being configured to store instructions that when executed by the processor determine the hygiene compliance rate based on the handwash signal and the occupant signal; and

wherein the hygiene compliance rate is based on a badged-handwash compliance rate comprising a number of badged-person handwash events compared to a number of required badged-person handwash events, and an unadjusted compliance rate comprising a number of total handwash events compared to a number of required total handwash events.

2. The hygiene compliance system of claim 1, wherein the remote computer is configured to determine the number of required total handwash events based on the number of occupants detected by the occupant sensor.

3. The hygiene compliance system of claim 1, further comprising an interaction sensor, wherein the remote computer is configured to determine the number of required total handwash events based on an interaction signal from the interaction sensor indicative of interaction with a healthcare device.

4. The hygiene compliance system of claim 1, wherein the at least one badge, when within a predetermined proximity of the handwash sensor, receives a handwash sensor identification code and the handwash signal from the handwash sensor, and the at least one badge transmits a signal to the remote computer indicating the handwash sensor identification code, a badge identification code, and the handwash signal.

5. The hygiene compliance system of claim 1, wherein the handwash sensor is configured to receive a badge identification code from the at least one badge being within a predetermined proximity of the handwash sensor, and to transmit a signal to the remote computer indicating a handwash sensor identification code, the badge identification code, and the handwash signal.

6. The hygiene compliance system of claim 1, wherein the remote computer is configured to determine whether the hygiene compliance rate violates a threshold dictated by a hygiene operations scheme.

7. The hygiene compliance system of claim 6, wherein the remote computer is configured to transmit an indicator signal indicating that the hygiene compliance rate violates the threshold to a local indicator to activate the local indicator to indicate non-compliance with the hygiene operation scheme.

8. The hygiene compliance system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined proximity is a patient room of a hospital.

9. A hygiene compliance system, comprising:

a handwash sensor configured to transmit a handwash signal indicative of handwash device operation, at least one badge configured to transmit a signal, an occupant sensor configured to detect a number of persons in a predetermined proximity and to transmit an occupant signal indicative of the number of persons, and a remote computer configured to communicate with the handwash sensor and the occupant sensor;

wherein the remote computer determines a hygiene compliance rate based on the handwash signal and the occupant signal;

further comprising an interaction sensor configured to transmit an interaction signal indicative of interaction with the healthcare device;

wherein the healthcare device is a hospital bed and the interaction sensor is configured to detect interaction with the hospital bed and to transmit the interaction signal indicative of interaction with the hospital bed; and

wherein the interaction sensor is configured to detect a movement of a siderail of the hospital bed and to transmit the interaction signal indicative of siderail movement.

10. The hygiene compliance system of claim 9, wherein the interaction sensor is configured to transmit the interaction signal only if an exterior bed control is used to achieve the movement the siderail.

11. A hygiene compliance system, comprising:

a handwash sensor configured to transmit a handwash signal indicative of handwash device operation, at least one badge configured to transmit a signal, an occupant sensor configured to detect a number of persons in a predetermined proximity and to transmit an occupant signal indicative of the number of persons, and a remote computer configured to communicate with the handwash sensor and the occupant sensor;

wherein the remote computer determines a hygiene compliance rate based on the handwash signal and the occupant signal;

further comprising an interaction sensor configured to transmit an interaction signal indicative of interaction with the healthcare device;

wherein the healthcare device is a hospital bed and the interaction sensor is configured to detect interaction with the hospital bed and to transmit the interaction signal indicative of interaction with the hospital bed; and

wherein the interaction sensor is configured to detect an adjustment of a position of a backrest of the hospital bed.

12. The hygiene compliance system of claim 11, wherein the interaction sensor is configured to transmit the interaction signal only if an exterior bed control is used to achieve the adjustment of the position of the backrest of the hospital bed.

13. A hygiene compliance system, comprising:

a handwash sensor configured to detect handwash device operation, at least one badge configured for signal transmission, an occupant sensor configured to detect a number of persons in a predetermined proximity, an interaction sensor configured to detect interaction with patient surroundings, and a remote computer configured to communicate with the handwash sensor, the occupant sensor, and the interaction sensor;

wherein the remote computer determines a hygiene compliance rate based on the communications with the handwash sensor, the occupant sensor, and the interaction sensor;

wherein the predetermined proximity is a patient room of a hospital; and

wherein the patient surroundings include a hospital bed and the interaction with patient surroundings includes adjustment of the position of the backrest of the hospital bed, and the interaction sensor is configured to communicate an interaction signal indicating the adjustment of the position of the backrest to the remote computer, and the remote computer determines the hygiene compliance rate based on the interaction signal.

14. A hygiene compliance system, comprising:

a handwash sensor configured to transmit a handwash signal indicative of handwash device operation, at least one badge configured to transmit a signal, an occupant sensor configured to detect a number of persons in a predetermined proximity and to transmit an occupant signal indicative of the number of persons, and a remote computer configured to communicate with the handwash sensor and the occupant sensor;

wherein the remote computer determines a hygiene compliance rate based on the handwash signal, the occupant signal, and wash observation data from a third party observation information;

wherein the remote computer includes a processor and a memory device, the memory device being configured to store instructions that when executed by the processor determine the hygiene compliance rate based on the handwash signal and the occupant signal; and

wherein the hygiene compliance rate is based on a badged-handwash compliance rate comprising a number of badged-person handwash events compared to a number of required badged-person handwash events, and an unadjusted compliance rate comprising a number of total handwash events compared to a number of required total handwash events.

15. The hygiene compliance system of claim 14, wherein the remote computer is configured to generate reports including a hygiene compliance rate associated with an individual caregiver and to automatically transmit a daily electronic message to the individual caregiver indicating the hygiene compliance rate associated with the individual caregiver.

16. The hygiene compliance system of claim 14, wherein the remote computer is configured to automatically retrieve staff assignments from other hospital systems.