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.