Did you wash your hands before you ate? Really? What if I could tell whether you washed your hands, and if you used soap? This is one technology being investigated by Ron Pulvermacher, former president of the Wisconsin PDMA and owner of Matrix Product Development. It has important implications, particularly in the medical industry where germs can mean life or death for patients.
Here is how the technology works. Doctors and hospital staff wear a wristband with an RFID transmitter that identifies them. Each room in the hospital is equipped with an RFID reader that can tell who entered the room. Sounds easy enough. What Ron is investigating is linking this technology to another one that he already developed for Wisconsin Fertility Clinic. That technology measures how many times the soap dispenser has been used, and the fill level of the soap. Combine the two and you get a closed system of knowledge about the possible spread of germs throughout a hospital. This will help hospitals monitor compliance with hand washing rules, and find ways to make improvements by understanding which people, locations, or dispensers are the most problematic. Not to mention, if a patient gets an infection, you can determine whether hand washing was a potential culprit.
Why is this technology important? Of course, we all understand the risks of infections. But, there are also huge financial incentives for hospitals and staff to follow proper cleaning procedures. If a person contracts an infection at the hospital, the hospital (not the insurance company) is responsible for those costs. With only 30% compliance of hand washing among hospital staff, there is huge potential to stop the spread of infections. That could save hospitals a tremendous amount of money while improving their patient care.
With all of the attention that hand washing has received both in food safety and illness prevention, I’m guessing this technology might have broader applications. It also might have some potential for backlash as people could get singled out. What are your thoughts?
To learn more about Ron and his hand washing technology, visit
http://www.rfidhut.com/blogs/6
Tags: hand washing, health care innovation, new product development, pdma, rfid
Monika Wingate is the owner of Fountainhead Brand Consulting and V.P. of Membership for the Wisconsin Product Development and Manufacturing Association (PDMA). She has helped a variety of companies develop new products and growth strategies including CUNA Mutual, Hormel Foods, U.S. Bank, and Kohler.
Just wanted to say you have a great site and thanks for posting!
lol one or two of the reviews readers post are kinda silly, many a time i question whether they in actual fact read the writing and content before placing a comment or whether they just read over the title of the article and generate the very first thing that one thinks of. anyhow, it is actually enjoyable to look over sensible commentary occasionally compared to the very same, old blog vomit which i invariably notice on the internet
So 70% of docs and nurses are not washing their hands when they should?
Gross!
p.s., I hope Twilight Eclipse won’t think this is “old blog vomit.”
As a Newbie, I am always exploring online for articles that can help me get further ahead.
What you do is great – but more frequent updates, please?