RFID, Savior of the Economy

Part 2: Hand Hygiene Compliance System

(This post is a continuation of Part 1: Clinical Inventory Management System)

The second new implementation needed by hospitals is that of a RFID hand hygiene compliance system.

The New York Times says, “… 2 million patients in America acquire an infection in the hospital every year — about one in 20 patients — and 100,000 people die of them. This is the fourth leading cause of death in America.”

They  go on to say that, “Hospital-acquired infections cost the American health care system between $30 and $40 billion annually.”

These hospital acquired infections could be greatly reduced if hand hygiene requirements were followed. The sad thing is they are not. 

RFID hand hygiene compliance systems allow hospital administration to monitor which staff members are following correct hand hygiene protocols. Without this measured data, there is nothing hospital administration can do. I once heard a quote, “you can only change what you can measure” and it is very true in this case. 

With this data reinforcement, programs could be determined to motivate hospital personnel and further improve hand hygiene compliance. The system itself can even remind staff to wash their hands, using auditory or visual alerts should they forget. (View this video to learn more)

So what is my conclusion? Although I don’t think the implementation of these two systems (clinical inventory management system and hand hygiene compliance system) will be a silver bullet, curing the economy, I think they can definitely be a first step in the process. These systems could save thousands of lives and millions of dollars. They could help America move away from recession and back toward fruitfulness.

To learn more about RFID clinical inventory management systems click the link, or watch this two minute video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtSHopahqtQ

To learn more about RFID hand hygiene compliance systems contact Ron Pulvermacher at 608 834-1661 and ask about his Wyze Wash system.