Back to basics: hand hygiene and isolation

Lin Huang, G. Khai; Stewardson, Andrew J.; Lindsay Grayson, M.

Automated wireless systems for monitoring hand hygiene behaviour are an emerging area of interest [47,48 && ]. These systems generally involve the healthcare worker carrying an electronic identifying badge or tag, with sensors installed at various locations in the healthcare setting to record use of ABHR by individual healthcare workers. Several recent studies have evaluated these systems, reporting varying levels of accuracy [49] [50] [51] . Nevertheless, some systems provide an automated mechanism for performance feedback, which may assist individuals in improving compliance. Second, they may be useful in single rooms in which direct unobtrusive observation may be impractical. Unfortunately, current systems are unable to detect all WHO 5 Moments, and significant financial investment is generally required if an institution commits to one of these systems.