IoT Devices Drive Hygiene Compliance for a Healthcare Provider

Customer Overview: A prominent healthcare provider in the Atlanta Metro area is committed to safeguarding patient health across five facilities. It is implementing 7,500 IoT sensor soap tray devices to enhance healthcare services and ensure patient safety.

Industry: Healthcare

The Problem: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) significantly impact patient care and healthcare economics. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 5 percent of all hospital admissions result in a healthcare-associated infection, culminating in approximately 722,000 infections and 75,000 deaths each year as well as $28–33 billion in excess costs.

Recognizing hand hygiene as a pivotal factor in combating HAIs, the healthcare provider faced challenges in ensuring compliance and effectively managing cleansing product inventories. These were crucial to maintaining staff and patient safety, especially following heightened concerns due to COVID-19.

Ensuring that hand hygiene compliance mechanisms are seamlessly integrated and functional in busy, varied hospital environments was critical. The healthcare provider needed an effective, nonintrusive, and reliable solution that would withstand constant use.

The Solution: The healthcare provider implemented an IoT sensor-based hand hygiene system across its locations. This state-of-the-art system involved deploying sensored soap trays that were accurately and remotely monitored. This IoT solution allows for real-time tracking and management of hand hygiene compliance. Connext installed the devices in hospital rooms and bays, and throughout hallways across all hospital campuses.

Installation Details to Date:

• Hospital 1: On track with a completion rate of 89%, installing 1,982 units against an initial sale of 1,900 units.
• Hospital 2: Nearly doubled the initial forecast with 2,100 units installed, reaching a 99% completion rate.
• Hospital 3: Exceeded expectations by installing 1,306 units for a 96% completion rate, projected to hit 100% shortly.
• Hospital 4: On track with a 46% completion rate, total installations are expected to reach 295 units.
• Hospital 5: Following another provider's work, Connext began installing and repairing approximately 1,300 IoT devices, focusing on expanding capacity in a new building.

The Results: The implemented solution revolutionized hand hygiene compliance across the healthcare provider's locations by:

• Significantly Reducing Infections: Enhanced monitoring and data capture capabilities allowed for targeted behavioral adjustments and improved compliance, directly resulting in decreased HAIs.
• Cutting Costs: By boosting hand hygiene compliance, the healthcare provider will see a reduction in healthcare costs associated with HAIs.
• Unified Compliance Reporting: The IoT system offers a unified view of compliance levels across all facilities, providing essential insights for continuous improvement.
• Efficient Resource Management: Automated alerts for soap refills and usage analytics prevent out-of-stock and unnecessary expenditures, ensuring optimal resource utilization.

The healthcare provider upholds and enhances its commitment to patient safety and quality healthcare delivery through the deployment of IoT devices.