New program brings idea of monitoring handwashing via video surveillance to hospitals
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
October 1, 2008
In order to combat the spread of deadly hospital infections, staff members may need more reminding than education sessions and hospital signs. With the help of a company called Arrowsight, hospitals will be able to install video surveillance to help monitor handwashing rates while providing hospitals with feedback on employees who do not, reports The Wall Street Journal. Studies have shown that when it comes to complying with hygiene rules, less than 40% in the healthcare profession actually oblige. Starting this month, Medicare and private insurers will not be covering the extra costs of treating preventable infections, so hospitals may be using technology such as this to take matters into their own hands.
In a three-month pilot test starting in January 2007, handwashing rates rose from 38% to 90%, and the facility kept this rate for the next nine months. The program is designed to search large volumes of video and is smart enough to catch triggers such as whether a staff member has washed his or her hands after entering a room.
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