Hand hygiene feedback system improves the safety of premature babies

Issum/Rotterdam, October 6. A team of students from the University of Rotterdam have won the „Hogeschool Rotterdam Bachelor Award“for their project “Couveuse Stoplicht”. Under the leadership of Ronald van Gils MSc, Linda Wauben PhD and Onno Helder, PhD RN, the students won against 20 other submissions.

In an interdisciplinary project the students from the Electro-Technical, Industrial Product Design, Nursing, and Healthcare Technology faculties developed a hand hygiene feedback system to be used in neonatal departments. Using a traffic light system the user receives a visual feedback which shows whether they correctly cleaned and disinfected their hands or not.

The system comprises a sensor controlled disinfection dispenser ingo-man® plus Touchless which is attached to each incubator and which provides an „intelligent” feedback when used correctly. Each dispenser is equipped with a screen that shows each step involved when disinfecting hands properly. A green light indicates when hands have been disinfected correctly for 30 seconds and when the incubator can be opened. The data concerning compliance is automatically sent via a wireless solution for evaluation. In the evaluation center it is possible to see a report and analyse hand hygiene.

Premature babies: Thorough hand hygiene reduces the risk of infection

History of project development: Thorough hand disinfection can reduce the risk of infections by up to 30 percent, however it is often forgotten or not completed properly in the hectic of daily tasks on the ward, e.g. due to large workloads.

Insufficient hand hygiene increases the risk of blood stream infections considerably. Premature babies carry a much higher risk of contracting a blood stream infection because their immune system is not fully developed. A feed-back system can improve the compliance to hand hygiene regulations and therefore has a direct impact on the safety of premature babies.

Contributing institutions
Rotterdam University: Institute for Engineering and Applied Science
Rotterdam University: Research Center Innovation in Care
Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology

OPHARDT Hygiene

The family owned business group OPHARDT hygiene develops, manufactures and distributes an encompassing product range of dispensers and complete hygiene solutions for the implementation of the highest hygienic standards in the realms of medicine, pharmacy and food processing facilities, as well as for use in public washrooms. As a business with more than 50 years of experience, world-wide success and European roots, six production sites and more than 450 employees, consistent customer focus and future-oriented innovations are the basis for a sustainable business development.

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