Handwashing Detectors... interesting

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33297138/ns/health-health_care/

"When health care workers enter a patient's room, they wash up and run their hands beneath a nearby HyGreen sensor. The HyGreen sensor activates a green LED light on workers' badges to signal that their hands are clean.

A proximity monitor by the patient's bed then sends out infrared and acoustic signals to the badges, and when the health care workers approach, the monitor verifies that the green badge light is illuminated. If it isn't, the badges quietly vibrate to alert health care workers to clean up. "


"Whenever the HyGreen bed monitors verify if health care workers have washed their hands, they send that information, along with the time and location, to a wireless database maintained by the hospital's infection prevention team. That way, hospitals can know in real time which workers aren't washing up. And, if a hospital-acquired infection breaks out, they can pinpoint the source more accurately."


I'm all for handwashing. I know how important and essential it is. But this seems creepily Big Brother to me.

At least they're discreet. Though I'm wondering how clunky a vibrating badge would have to be. I'm picturing a restaurant pager hanging from my chest lol. And a vibration that buzzes as loud as my cell phone. That wouldn't be good. The last thing I need is a confused little old lady going "what's that?!"

I know I'm not perfect in my handwashing. Especially when I have my hands full of something as I'm entering the room. I wish we had some sort of clean surface to put things on outside the pts' rooms so we could use the gel, then grab the stuff and go in. Most of the time, I end up going in the room, putting the things down on the garbage can lid (because it's the only available flat space in the room), then using the gel. Not the most hygienic practice.

I look forward to the day when we can just irradiate our whole bodies every time we enter a room lol....