Hospital Hand Wash Monitoring Outsourced

  • 11 years ago
Studies have shown that when working with patients, hospital staffers only wash their hands 30 percent of the time. Some hospitals are now installing technologies that track their employees’ hand washing habits.

Some hospitals are now installing technologies that track their employees’ hand washing habits.

They’re not being nosy - they’re getting desperate. The annual toll of infections acquired in hospitals is about 30 billion dollars and 100 thousand patient deaths.

Studies have shown that when working with patients, hospital staff only wash their hands 30 percent of the time.

Efforts to increase that number include video cameras, radio-frequency badges, coaches, and incentives. In several hospitals, the video feed from US hospitals is sent to countries like India where it's inspected by staffers to check for any violators.

Theories explaining the low compliance among workers range from forgetting because of the overwhelming amount of things on their minds to general rejection of authority.

The most common types of infections contracted while in a hospital are urinary tract, bloodstream, lung, and wound.

Other than staff hand washing practices, dangerous conditions can result from extended stays, too much antibiotic treatment, and and invasive surgeries that require equipment like catheters.

Recommended