IOWA CITY, Iowa, Mar 21, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The University of Iowa
created a low-cost, green technology to track the use of hand hygiene dispensers
used by healthcare workers, researchers said.
Epidemiologists and computer scientists collaborated to develop a novel method
of monitoring hand hygiene compliance, which is essential for infection control
in hospitals.
"We know that a range of pathogens are spread from healthcare workers to
patients by direct touch and that the current rates of hand hygiene compliance
are suboptimal," Dr. Philip Polgreen of University of Iowa Health Care said in a
statement. "Our new low-cost method of monitoring could potentially reduce cost
while increasing compliance rates."
The pilot study uses "Zigbee" technology, which is part of a new generation of
wireless devices that require less power. Workers wear small, pager-sized badges
to monitor their use of hand hygiene dispenser stations prior to entering
patient rooms.
Ted Herman, the lead computer scientist on the project, designed badge
construction and placement of small beacons inside patient rooms and other
designated locations. He said what is new about the method he describes is how
the data are recorded and processed in the badges "rather than relying on a
network."
"Each use of the dispenser station is automatically reported by the user's
badge, which logs the time and length of use, date and dispenser ID number,"
Herman said.
The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Healthcare
Epidemiology of America.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International