US-12616553-B2 - Method and system for ensuring and tracking hand hygiene compliance

US12616553B2US 12616553 B2US12616553 B2US 12616553B2US-12616553-B2

Abstract

A system includes a hand hygiene dispenser comprising a housing comprising an input for detecting hand sanitizing events when hand sanitizer is dispensed from a container, and a memory for storing the hand sanitizing events, a computing device configured to receive data from the hand hygiene dispenser regarding when one or more hand sanitizing events have occurred, and a calculation module configured to detect whether a predetermined amount of hand sanitizing solution is used, wherein detecting whether the predetermined amount of hand sanitizing solution is used including detecting a number of dispenser activations, measuring, by a sensor in communication with the calculation module, an amount of hand sanitizing solution within the container, and comparing the number of dispenser activations with the measured amount of hand sanitizing solution in the container.

Inventors

Gregory T. Davis
David Beck
Ronald C. Cagle
Jessica Farrell

Assignees

SAGE PRODUCTS, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20210917

Claims (20)

1 . A hand hygiene dispenser comprising: a housing comprising an input for detecting hand sanitizing events when hand sanitizer is dispensed from a container, and a memory for storing the hand sanitizing events; a motion sensor; a second sensor; and a calculation module configured to detect whether a predetermined amount of hand sanitizing solution is used in a plurality of dispenser activations during a working time of a shift of a user, wherein detecting whether the predetermined amount of hand sanitizing solution is used during the working time of the shift comprises: determining the working time of the shift based on data from the motion sensor indicating that the hand hygiene dispenser is in use over a duration of the shift, wherein the working time of the shift indicates an amount of time over the duration of the shift that the hand hygiene dispenser was carried by a user, measuring, by the second sensor in communication with the calculation module, a measured amount of hand sanitizing solution within the container, and comparing a total number of the plurality of dispenser activations occurring during the working time of the shift of the user with the measured amount of hand sanitizing solution in the container at an end of the shift.
2 . The hand hygiene dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a display, wherein the calculation module is configured to cause the display to display a notification regarding an individual user's hand hygiene performance.
3 . The hand hygiene dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the calculation module is configured to review dispensing of the hand hygiene dispenser over a predetermined time period to determine whether the hand hygiene dispenser has a higher dispensing rate to detect cheating by a user.
4 . The hand hygiene dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the container is configured to be squeezed to dispense sanitizer and to actuate the input within the housing.
5 . The hand hygiene dispenser of claim 4 , wherein the container defines a wall, the wall being placed adjacent to the input such that the wall contacts the input and actuates the input when a user dispenses the hand sanitizer stored within the container.
6 . The hand hygiene dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a display for displaying hand hygiene data.
7 . The hand hygiene dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the hand hygiene dispenser is configured to communicate to a network via a low energy transmission protocol.
8 . The hand hygiene dispenser of claim 7 , wherein the low energy transmission protocol is low energy Bluetooth.
9 . The hand hygiene dispenser of claim 1 , wherein a processor is configured to provide an electronic certification based on a minimum number of shifts by a user and a ratio of shift use rates at or above a predetermined goal rate.
10 . A system comprising: the hand hygiene dispenser of claim 1 ; and a computing device configured to receive data from the hand hygiene dispenser regarding when one or more hand sanitizing events have occurred.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the hand hygiene dispenser is configured to send the hand sanitizing events stored on the memory to the computing device when the hand hygiene dispenser is within a predetermined range of the computing device.
12 . The hand hygiene dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the calculation module is further configured to: calculate a hand hygiene rate of a user based on a comparison of the plurality of dispenser activations during the shift with the working time of the shift; display a notification including a survey having user selectable elements; receive a selection of one of the user selectable elements; compare the hand hygiene rate of the user to a goal hygiene rate to determine a hand hygiene performance of the user; and display an updated notification of the hand hygiene performance of the user during the shift of the user, the updated notification including a suggestion based on the selection and the hand hygiene performance of the user.
13 . A method comprising: providing a hand hygiene dispenser comprising: a housing configured to receive a container configured to contain hand sanitizer, the housing comprising an input for detecting hand sanitizing events when the hand sanitizer is dispensed from the container and a memory for storing the hand sanitizing events, a motion sensor, a second sensor, and a calculation module; and configuring the calculation module to detect whether a predetermined amount of hand sanitizing solution is used in a plurality of dispenser activations during a working time of a shift of a user, wherein configuring the calculation module to detect whether the predetermined amount of hand sanitizing solution is used during the working time of the shift comprises: determining the working time of the shift based on data from the motion sensor indicating that the hand hygiene dispenser is in use over a duration of the shift, wherein the working time of the shift indicates an amount of time over the duration of the shift that the hand hygiene dispenser was carried by a user, measuring, by the second sensor in communication with the calculation module, a measured amount of hand sanitizing solution within the container, and comparing a total number of the plurality of dispenser activations occurring during the working time of the shift of the user with the measured amount of hand sanitizing solution in the container at an end of the shift.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising configuring the calculation module to cause a display of the hand hygiene dispenser to display a notification to regarding a hand hygiene performance of an individual user.
15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising configuring the container to be squeezed to dispense sanitizer and to actuate the input within the housing.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising providing the container with a wall, the wall being placed adjacent to the input such that the wall contacts the input and actuates the input when a user dispenses the hand sanitizer stored within the container.
17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing the hand hygiene dispenser with a display for displaying hand hygiene data.
18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising configuring the hand hygiene dispenser to send the hand sanitizing events stored on the memory to a computing device when the hand hygiene dispenser is within a predetermined range of the computing device.
19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing an electronic certification based on a minimum number of shifts by a user and a ratio of shift use rates at or above a predetermined goal rate.
20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the hand hygiene dispenser is configured to communicate to a network via a low energy transmission protocol.

Description

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/604,207, filed on Jan. 23, 2015, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/029,746, filed on Sep. 17, 2013, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/702,013, filed on Sep. 17, 2012. All of the above applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. TECHNICAL FIELD The disclosure herein relates generally to a system and method for encouraging hand washing and for monitoring and determining compliance with hand washing requirements in healthcare settings. BACKGROUND Every year tens of thousands of people will die from infections they acquire while admitted as patient in a hospital. These hospital-acquired infections or nosocomial infections are unrelated to their initial hospital admission. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention) in the United States, more than 50% of all nosocomial infections are transmitted due to improper hand washing by health care workers before and after each patient contact. Health care workers have indicated that hand washing compliance is difficult because there is “not enough time and not enough conveniently located hand washing stations to wash hands as often as required.” Compliance with hand washing guidelines is becoming worse and more difficult. Because of staff reductions, hospitals require healthcare workers to take care of an increasing number of patients during work shifts. Additionally, hospitals are seeing high transmission rates of antibiotic resistant bacteria and viruses, which requires stricter adherence to the CDC hand washing guidelines. Hospitals need products and services that boost and encourage hand washing, and methods to ensure and measure compliance. BRIEF SUMMARY The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the disclosure or to delineate the scope of the disclosure. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below. In one example, a computer-implemented method may include tracking the dispensing of a plurality hand hygiene dispensers having hand sanitizer and each hand hygiene dispenser being associated with an individual user. The method may include one or more of the following steps: determining by a processor dispensing rates of the plurality of hand hygiene dispensers for a plurality of predetermined time periods, identifying each of the plurality of the hand hygiene dispensers with an individual user, determining by a processor a predetermined number of highest dispensing rates out of the plurality of predetermined time periods and calculating an average dispensing rate based on the predetermined number of highest dispensing rates, displaying the dispensing rates of the plurality of hand hygiene dispensers, and notifying an individual user regarding the individual user's performance. In another example, a system may include a plurality of hand hygiene dispensers, where each hand hygiene dispenser can include a housing configured to receive a container adapted to store hand sanitizer. The housing may include an input for detecting hand sanitizing events when hand sanitizer is dispensed from the container, and the input may be located within the housing. The housing may also include a memory for storing hand sanitizing events, and an accelerometer for recording motion information in memory and for determining whether the hand hygiene dispenser is in use. Each hand hygiene dispenser may be configured to communicate to a network via a low energy transmission protocol. These and other aspects are discussed in greater detail throughout this disclosure, including the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not limited in the accompanying FIGS. in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which: FIG. 1 shows an illustrative environment in which various aspects of the disclosure may be implemented. FIG. 2 is an illustrative diagram of workstations and servers that may be used to implement the processes and functions of certain aspects of the disclosure herein. FIG. 3 depicts a front, left perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a personal hand sanitizer dispenser. FIG. 3A depicts a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a personal hand sanitizer dispenser. FIG. 3B depicts another perspective view of the exemplary embodiment in accordance with FIG. 3A. FIG. 3C depicts another perspective view of the exemplary embodiment in accordance with FIG. 3A. FIG. 3D depicts another perspective view of the exemplary embodiment in accordance with FIG. 3A. FIGS. 4-8 depict exemplary displays for displaying hand hygiene and related data. FIGS. 9-12B dep