Method for assessing improvement in hand hygiene practices

Details Method for assessing improvement in hand hygiene practices Method for assessing improvement in hand hygiene practices

2007-09-18

2007-09-18

Swarthout, Brent A. (Department: 2612)

Communications: electrical

Condition responsive indicating system

Specific condition

C340S539120, C004S623000

Reexamination Certificate

active

11152474

ABSTRACT:
A method for assessing improvement in hand hygiene practices using sanitation solution dispensers deployed within particular areas of interest in a healthcare facility or the like. Each of the dispensers has a counter associated therewith, with the counter producing a count indicative of actual events of a healthcare worker sanitizing his/her hands. Other data is acquired that impacts the number of anticipated hand sanitation events in this particular area of interest. From this data, a number of anticipated hand sanitation events is determined. Finally, a determination is made, from information obtained through actual observation, of the number of opportunities that healthcare workers will have for hand sanitation in the area of interest over a particular period of time. A performance index, indicative of compliance with hand hygiene protocol, is then obtained by dividing the difference between the actual number of hand sanitizing events and the number of anticipated hand hygiene events by the number of opportunities for such hand hygiene events. This index may then be used to gauge improvement or regression in hand hygiene practices in an area of interest, or to measure the effectiveness of intervention programs, or to compare performance between various areas of interest.

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