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.