A series of thermal sensors in the sink are part of a new system that is able to monitor handwashing compliance and quality all the way down to the individual employee level.
Electronic hand hygiene company BioVigil is employing a compliance tracker, AccuWash, that can reduce healthcare-associated infections, the company announced Monday.
It hopes to have the product ready for commercial availability by early 2024.
The system works by using sink sensors. An attached beacon turns green when the handwasher has achieved compliance, a BioVigil spokesman explained, adding that the system can provide performance data on both facilities and individual workers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends users wash their hands for at least 20 seconds to help prevent the spread of infections. Such rigorous compliance can help protect against infections such as C. difficile, BioVigil officials said.
Handwashing alone can reduce diarrhea related illnesses by 30% and respiratory infections by 20%, an infection control expert wrote in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News last year.
Beyond the health benefits, BioVigil’s systems reduced staff absenteeism by almost 20% and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in healthcare costs from HAI reduction, according to BioVigil.
“No other hand hygiene monitoring solution has the capability of AccuWash Technology to track a complete hand wash down to the individual healthcare provider,” BioVigil President and CEO Sanjay Gupta said in a statement.
A handful of pilot provider sites — long-term care facilities and acute-care hospitals – currently are testing the AccuWash system.
Healthcare professionals also can also wear a badge sensor that indicates they are practicing proper hygiene, a video demonstration of AccuWash shows.
Parker Health Group won Gold in the McKnight’s Tech Awards last year for its use of BioVigil’s badge sensors in its five facilities.
BioVigil plans to expand use of AccuWash to other settings such as restaurants, where monitoring hygiene is critical.
