When we go to the hospital, we count on doctors and nurses to
get us healthy, not make us sick—so why are so many health care
professionals skipping out on the single most important factor
in preventing healthcare-associated infections? Recent research
shows that many hospital employees simply aren’t cutting it when
it comes to washing their hands. Studies show that compliance to
hand-washing among healthcare workers averages only 40 percent.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
this unhealthy habit can mean higher bills for the entire
healthcare system since so many patients pick up infections
while in the hospital. One group, however, thinks it has a
surefire way to make sure doctors are washing their hands.
Israeli company Hyginex seeks to improve hand-cleansing
compliance by asking docs to wear wristbands that will
wirelessly alert them when its time to wash their hands.
Ecouterre provides a useful definition of how the wristband
alert system works: The Hyginex system comprises a c