hand hygiene
hand hygiene
By Robert P . Lee
Pathogen Tracking and the Information Superhighway
Moment 5 ( patient environment ) in the WHO Five Moments for Hand Hygiene is a key metric that needs to be measured and captured , and the relationship between patient and environment is clearly
documented .”
How do you track pathogens in your healthcare system ? If you use technology , does it have this functionality ? There are digital technologies that utilize state-of-the-art data capture functionalities to capture workflow data , process that data in real time using a proprietary data management , mining and logic platform to provide actionable intelligence and predictive analytics and reporting . This platform is focused on the patient , the patient environment and the relationship of hand hygiene compliance , workflow and the environment in which the patient resides .
Current State
Most hospitals subscribe to a proxy of “ foam in / foam “ or “ wash in / wash out ” or “ entry / exit ” as a means of measuring hand hygiene compliance . Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) and the World Health Organization ( WHO ) recommend a methodology that focuses on approaching the patient and leaving patient , not the patient room . This is considered to be a “ patient-centric ” approach versus a “ room-centric ” approach .
Additionally , both CDC and WHO recommend doing hand hygiene before touching anything in the patient setting / environment . This includes equipment , keyboards , mobile devices , etc ., because it is assumed that all surfaces are contaminated . At the present time , no information is being captured from the patient setting / environment .
Future State
Moment 5 ( patient environment ) in the WHO Five Moments for Hand Hygiene is a key metric that needs to be measured and captured , and the relationship between patient and environment is clearly documented . Technology has the ability to create uniquely defined protection zones within a workflow that will provide important data that will allow us to understand the movement of both healthcare workers and pathogens . Data capture is key to the first step .
Technology can create a list of possible items within the patient environment that includes equipment , IV poles , workstations , mobile devices , fixtures , etc . Each object has a standard criteria that will help with determining the initial risk level of that object , known as a protection zone . Technology can capture expected performance data to provide the optimal state . During the course of daily activities of healthcare providers , it can combine
The goal is to capture as much data as possible from Moments 1 , 4 , and especially 5 in the WHO Five Moments for Hand Hygiene , as well as process and report out this information on a real-time basis . It ’ s also desirable to get the information to move faster than the workflow , to become predictive using evidence-based practice rather than being reactive .”
current performance data to provide a current state . Current performance data might include how often environmental services / housekeeping personnel visited the room or cleaned an item , or how often a healthcare worker visited / entered that protection zone . Also , maintenance data will be provided to help housekeeping , biomedical engineering staff , and others , to insure optimal performance from the hand hygiene dispensers .
The goal is to capture as much data as possible from Moments 1 , 4 , and especially 5 in the WHO Five Moments for Hand Hygiene , as well as process and report out this information on a real-time basis . It ’ s also desirable to get the information to move faster than the workflow , to become predictive using evidence-based practice rather than being reactive . The information superhighway of today require that data has to move faster than the workflow .
If you have any questions or needs , you can always reach out to me directly medicaldatamanagement @ gmail . com
Robert P . Lee , BA , the CEO and founder of MD-Medical Data Quality & Safety Advisors , LLC , is the senior biologist and performance improvement consultant . MD-MDQSA is the home of The IPEX - The Infection Prevention Exchange , a digital collaboration between selected evidence-based solutions that use big data , technology , and AI to reduce risk of HAIs .
20 • www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com • december 2024