Although medical device packaging can play in important role to patient safety, it is the human connection to the patient has long been attributed as the leading cause of HAIs (healthcare-acquired infections). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “On average, healthcare providers clean their hands less than half of the times they should.” At the same time, about one in 31 hospital patients have at least one healthcare-acquired infection on any given day.
There are several reasons why clinicians and other providers may inadvertently overlook a required handwashing sequence. It is no surprise that healthcare workers are very busy, and the most common reason they fail to wash their hands is simply that they forget. Many healthcare providers may need to clean their hands over 100 times throughout a shift depending on the number of patients and intensity of care (CDC, 2019).
Luckily, many within the healthcare industry continue to work toward lowering the number of HAIs, and the innovations developed from this need are quite noteworthy. BioVigil® is one of these innovators who have developed a technology aimed at improving patient safety by increasing the simple act of handwashing. The company claims that its technology will reduce HAIs by up to 83%; their website explains how the wearable system operates:
BioVigil® provides a gentle reminder sequence on a user-worn badge to perform hand hygiene, if you forget. The combination of these reminders, plus the awareness feature of a green, yellow, and red light, have proven to significantly increase hand hygiene compliance.
The gentle reminder provided for the healthcare provider can significantly impact the health and safety of the patients, their families, and other hospital personnel. Furthermore, the technology integrates a visual system that signals to others in the room if hand hygiene has been properly executed. This innovative system provides peace of mind for patients and their families so they can focus on what matters throughout their visit.
In addition to the obvious benefits, the use of BioVigil’s® Hand Hygiene Solution provides excellent insight regarding overall hospital compliance and clinical workflows. For example, alerts can be configured for patient cross-contamination engagements, to track the duration of staff room visits, and to capture actual hygiene compliance data. As a result, healthcare systems can easily improve patient satisfaction and experience with additional insights and real-time information.
While it is unfortunate that handwashing hygiene contributes to an increased risk of contracting HAIs, patients can rest assured that there are companies working daily to lower these risks. For this particular problem, a simple user-worm badge provides an impactful solution. As companies like BioVigil® gain traction and buy-in from hospitals, the risks for HAIs will continue to decrease, and patient health and safety will rise.
References:
BioVigil. (2018, September 7). Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://biovigil.com
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, April 29). Hand hygiene in healthcare settings. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/index.html
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