System and method for monitoring hospital workflow compliance with a hand hygiene network

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring compliance with a plurality of workflow procedures in a hospital or other health care facility using a hand hygiene compliance system (HHC). A control unit of a HHC gathers data based upon the presence, identification, and movement of a plurality of assets, including persons, equipment, or supplies, each having wearable detectable tags, such as RFID tags, and communicates that data to a local or remote server. The server is programmed to monitor or cause compliance with hospital workflow procedures relevant to the communicated data, such as rounding requirements and proper use of equipment, or may generate alarms or notifications where a workflow procedure has not been followed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hand hygiene compliance system for use in a facility, the hand hygiene compliance system comprising:
 a plurality of wearable badges, each of the wearable badges associated with an asset;   a plurality of control units deployed throughout the facility, each of the control units located in proximity to a handwashing station and further comprising a first feedback device, a tag radio and a main radio, the tag radio comprising a first antenna to detect, over a first communications channel, a wireless transmission from at least one of the wearable badges each time the at least one of the wearable badges enters an area of the facility in which one of the control units is located and determine, based upon a signal strength indicator associated with the wireless transmission, whether the at least one of the wearable badges is within a predetermined proximity of the control unit located in the area, the main radio in communication with the tag radio and further comprising a second antenna to communicate over a communications network via a second communications channel;   a server in communication with each of the plurality of control units via the communication network, the server operable to receive from the main radio event data relating to the at least one of the wearable badges that the tag radio determines is within the predetermined proximity of the control unit located in the area; and   a second feedback device;   wherein the server is operable to perform at least one of the following actions:   (a) generating a report of compliance with a non-hand hygiene related procedure based at least in part on the event data in response to a query by a user and displaying the report on the second feedback device;   (b) selecting at least one hospital procedure relevant to the event data and providing workflow instructions to a person performing the at least one hospital procedure; or   (c) generating a notification regarding compliance with the non-hand hygiene related procedure in response at least in part to the event data.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the asset is selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) a person;   (b) a piece of equipment; and   (c) a supply.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the event data includes at least one of the following:
 (a) identity of the asset associated with the at least one of the wearable badges detected by the control unit located in the area;   (b) location of the asset;   (c) time of detection of the asset;   (d) movement of the asset; and   (e) the signal strength indicator.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the action performed is (c) and the non-hand hygiene related procedure is a rounding interval for a patient. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the notification comprises a rounding report displayed on the second feedback device which is dynamically updated based on the event data received from the control unit located in the area. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the hand hygiene compliance system accesses hospital census data and the notification excludes from the rounding report any unoccupied room. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the hand hygiene compliance system accesses a patient information database and assigns the rounding interval, which is specific to individual patients based upon records in the database. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the second feedback device is a display at a nurses' station. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the notification directs workflow by identifying a sequence in which patient rooms should be visited to ensure compliance with the non-hand hygiene related procedure. 
     
     
         10 . A hand hygiene compliance system for use in a facility, the hand hygiene compliance system comprising:
 a plurality of wearable badges, each of the wearable badges associated with an asset;   a plurality of control units, each of the control units located in proximity to a handwashing station and further comprising a first feedback device, a tag radio and a main radio, the tag radio comprising a first antenna to detect, over a first communications channel, a wireless transmission from at least one of the wearable badges each time the at least one of the wearable tags enters an area of the facility in which at least one of the control units is located and determine, based upon a signal strength indicator associated with the wireless transmission, whether the at least one of the wearable badges is within a predetermined proximity of at least one of the control units located in the area, the main radio in communication with the tag radio and further comprising a second antenna to communicate over a communications network via a second communications channel;   a server in communication with each of the control units via the communications network, the server operable to receive from the main radio event data relating to the at least one of the wearable badges that the tag radio determines is within the predetermined proximity of the control unit located in the area; a second feedback device;   wherein the server is operable to perform at least the following actions:   (a) generating a rounding report based at least in part upon the event data received from the control units in order to monitor compliance with a rounding interval assigned to a patient resident at a healthcare facility; and   (b) displaying said rounding report on the second feedback device, wherein the rounding report is dynamically updated in response at least in part to the event data received from the control units.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the event data includes at least one of the following:
 (a) identity of a person associated with one of the at least one of the wearable badges detected by one of the plurality of control units;   (b) location of the person;   (c) time of detection of the person;   (d) movement of the person; and   (e) the signal strength indicator.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the hand hygiene compliance system accesses hospital census data and excludes from the rounding report any unoccupied rooms. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the hand hygiene compliance system accesses a patient information database and assigns the rounding interval to the patient based upon records in the patient information database. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the second feedback device is a display at a nurses' station. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein there are a plurality of patients, and the rounding report directs workflow by identifying a sequence in which each of the plurality of patients should be visited to ensure compliance with a rounding interval specific to each of the plurality of patients. 
     
     
         16 . A hand hygiene compliance system, the hand hygiene compliance system comprising:
 a plurality of wearable badges, each of the wearable badges associated with an asset;   a plurality of control units, each of the control units located in proximity to a hand washing station and further comprising:   (a) a tag radio comprising a first antenna to detect, over a first communications channel, one or more wireless transmissions from a first wearable badge associated with a piece of medical equipment and a second wearable badge associated with a person and determine, based upon a signal strength indicator associated with each of the one or more wireless transmissions, whether the first wearable badge and the second wearable badge are within a predetermined proximity of the control unit;   (b) a main radio in communication with the tag radio and further comprising a second antenna to send and receive data over a communication network via a second communications channel; and   (c) a feedback device to display workflow instructions for performing a procedure responsive to identities of both the piece of equipment and the person once the signal strength indicator associated with at least one of the one or more wireless transmissions from the first wearable badge and second wearable badge indicates both badges are within the predetermined proximity of the control unit.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the control unit requires input from the person performing the procedure via the feedback device to confirm compliance with the procedure.