Hygiene monitoring system

A method of monitoring hygiene compliance, comprising the steps of:

• determining whether a person who has been contaminated due to exposure to a contamination zone has left the contamination zone;
• determining whether the person has washed her hands within a trigger time since leaving the contamination zone;
• and
• updating status information associated with the person to indicate that the person is compliant if the person who has been contaminated due to exposure to the contamination zone has left the contamination zone and the person has washed her hands within the trigger time since leaving the contamination zone.

A system for monitoring hygiene compliance, comprising

• a master station;
• a plurality of first sensors operable to track movement of a person through a facility, and provide the master station with location information associated with the movement of the person;
• and
• a plurality of second sensors operable to provide the master station with handwashing information associated with attempts by the person to wash her hands,
• wherein the master station is operable to
• determine based upon the location information whether the person has entered a patient contact zone,
• determine based upon the location information and the handwashing information, whether the person washed her hands since her most recent exposure to a contamination zone other than her current exposure to the patient contact zone, and
• update compliance information for the person based upon whether the person has entered a patient contact zone and whether the person washed her hands since her most recent exposure to a contamination zone other than her current exposure to the patient contact zone.

A system for monitoring hygiene compliance, comprising

• a master station;
• a plurality of first sensors operable to track movement of a person through a facility, and provide the master station with location information associated with the movement of the person;
• and
• a plurality of second sensors operable to provide the master station with handwashing information associated with attempts by the person to wash her hands,
• wherein the master station is operable to
• determine based upon the location information whether the person has been exposed to a first contamination zone longer than a first exposure time associated with the first contamination zone, and
• update status information associated with the person to indicate that the person is contaminated if the person has been exposed to the first contamination zone longer than the first exposure time associated with the first contamination zone.

A system for monitoring hygiene compliance, comprising

• a master station;
• a plurality of first sensors operable to track movement of a person through a facility, and provide the master station with location information associated with the movement of the person;
• and
• a plurality of second sensors operable to provide the master station with handwashing information associated with attempts by the person to wash tier hands,
• wherein the master station is operable to
• determine based upon the location information whether a person who has been contaminated due to exposure to a contamination zone has left the contamination zone,
• determine based upon the location information and the handwashing information whether the person has washed her hands within a trigger time since leaving the contamination zone, and
• update status information associated with the person to indicate that the person has committed a handwashing infraction if the master station determines that the person who has been contaminated due to exposure to the contamination zone has left the contamination zone and the person has not washed her hands within the trigger time since leaving the contamination zone.

A system for monitoring hygiene compliance, comprising

• a master station;
• a plurality of first sensors operable to track movement of a person through a facility, and provide the master station with location information associated with the movement of the person;
• and
• a plurality of second sensors operable to provide the master station with handwashing information associated with attempts by the person to wash her hands,
• wherein the master station is operable to
• determine based upon the location information whether a preset time period has passed since location of the person was last detected;
• and
• update status information associated with the person to indicate that the person is contaminated if the master station determines that the preset time period has passed since location of the person was last detected.

A system for monitoring hygiene compliance, comprising

• a master station;
• a plurality of first sensors, which in combination, are operable to track movement of a person through a facility, and provide the master station with location information associated with the movement of the person;
• and
• a plurality of second sensors operable to provide the master station with handwashing information associated with attempts by the person to wash her hands,
• wherein the master station is operable to
• determine a period of time the person has remained in a contamination zone after washing her hands in the contamination zone;
• and
• update status information associated with the person based upon the period of time the person has remained in the contamination zone after washing her hands.

A system for monitoring hygiene compliance, comprising

• a master station;
• a plurality of first sensors operable to track movement of a person through a facility, track movement of equipment through the facility, and provide the master station with first location information associated with the movement of the person and second location information associated with the movement of the equipment;
• and
• a plurality of second sensors operable to provide the master station with cleaning information, wherein the master station is operable to update hygiene compliancy information based upon the first location information, the second location information, and the cleaning information.

A method for monitoring hygiene compliance, comprising receiving first location information associated with movement of patients through a facility;

• receiving second location information associated with movement of pieces of equipment through a facility;
• receiving cleaning information associated with attempts to clean the pieces of equipment;
• and
• updating hygiene compliancy information based upon the first location information, the second location information, and the cleaning information.