Using a hand sanitizer is not enough – all healthcare staff need to use it properly. That’s the issue HandInScan has worked to address through its Hand-in-Scan hand hygiene compliance system, which recently won the Red Dot design award.
This system requires healthcare professionals to use a special alcoholic handrub for 30 seconds. Then, they scan their hands with UV-LED light, which senses if any parts of their hands were missed. Total, it takes about one minutes and offers feedback in real-time. While this system could support hand hygiene compliance systems throughout healthcare, Csaba Hanko, director of sales and marketing at HandInScan, says the intensive care unit (ICU), and prenatal/neonatal and surgery departments could most benefit.
To learn more about how this system could be integrated into a facility, Hanko addressed some ofSurgical Products’ questions.
How could a system like this be integrated into a department?
The scanner must be mounted on the wall on a place which is frequently used by the staff, nurses as a crossing in the road traffic in order to save time for measurements. The scanner must be connected to the internet either with the built in wifi module or with the integrated mobile phone unit (3G SIM card). If the scanner is connected to the internet, all the data will be uploaded to a server automatically after each scanning (usage).
The management of the infection control or of the hospital gets a user name and password which allows them the real-time access to our reporting software in the cloud. This software can display all the data and contains pre-defined reports, statistics and summary which can be displayed or downloaded as picture or excel file.
How does this system determine if hands are clean?
Our scanner detects the UV dye which is mixed into the alcoholic handrub with help of UV-LED and image analysis software. Where the user applied this special handrub, the UV dye builds a thin film on the skin what is reflecting in the UV light. Where the user missed to apply this special handrub, there will be no UV coating on the skin, this place will not shine in UV light.
What’s the biggest challenge for staff using this device?
The biggest challenge for the staff is to accept the objectiveness of this technology in case of fail in performance.
HandInScan was founded in 2012 and completed its clinical prototype in 2014.
Source: www.surgicalproductsmag.com by Rebecca Rudolph