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Value Based Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) to Decrease Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI)
Karolina Mlynek MD, MBA, Maria Madajka Phd, Grzegorz Kwiecien MD, Kashyap Tadisina BS, Susan Orra BA, Bahar Bassiri Gharb MD, PhD, Frank Papay MD
Cleveland Clinic Research Fellowship. Dr.Bahar Bassiri Gharb is the Research Director.
2015-03-15
Presenter: Karolina Mlynek
Affidavit:
Karolina Mlynek
Director Name: Bahar Bassiri Gharb
Author Category: Resident Plastic Surgery
Presentation Category: Clinical
Abstract Category: Hand
PURPOSE – Annually, 1.7 million people admitted to U.S. hospitals are affected by Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 100,000 patients in the U.S. die from HAIs each year. Those who survive, experience extended hospital stays. Each case of HAI adds $20,450 to the already rising cost of healthcare. HAIs can be prevented by frequent hand washing by healthcare workers. The goal was to achieve a reduction of HAIs by 20% using an automated hand-hygiene monitoring system (RFID) at the Cleveland Clinic.
METHODS – RFID technology uses a system where hand sanitation can be monitored without interruption to the caregiver. Each caregiver wore a RFID tag, which functioned as a small radio transmitter that announced the caregiver's presence to the communication unit (CU) located above each soap and hand sanitizer dispenser. The data collected by the CU was wirelessly transferred to a central server, where individual caregiver and unit-level compliance as well as soap- and sanitizer-dispenser usage were analyzed.
RESULTS –RFID has recorded over 4 million total hand cleanings and an average increase of 105.6% in hand hygiene-solution dispenses since the implementation of this system. RFID brought about a 24% average HAI decrease in the first ten facilities where the sensors were introduced.
CONCLUSIONS – RFID technology has shown to change healthcare worker behavior, resulting in better hand hygiene. This improvement has contributed to HAI reduction. With more hospital implementations, highly preventable HAIs can dramatically decrease in number and reduce the cost of care.
