Vibrating badges remind clinicians to wash hands

Electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems are becoming more and more commonplace in facilities looking to accurately track hand hygiene compliance without observer bias. But a product made by a company started by Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni is somewhat unique in that it buzzes clinicians who miss a hand hygiene opportunity.

The product, MedSense Clear, is similar to other electronic hand hygiene monitoring precuts, as it involves a badge worn by hospital staff that tracks location and use of hand sanitizer or soap dispensers. But, according to a MIT News report, "it also vibrates to remind workers to wash up" whenever they enter or leave a patient room.

A study published in the Journal of Infection and Public Health showed hand hygiene compliance rates increased 25 percent in one month after a hospital in Bahrain started using MedSense Clear. The system has been trialed in 10 hospitals in the U.S., Europe, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar.

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