IoT Devices Drive Hygiene Compliance for a Healthcare Provider

A prominent healthcare provider in the Atlanta Metro area is committed to safeguarding patient health across five facilities. It implemented IoT sensor soap tray devices to enhance healthcare services and ensure patient safety.

Key Takeaways

• Scalable Deployment: Over 7,300 IoT hygiene monitoring devices installed across multiple campuses

• Enhanced Compliance: Real-time visibility into hand hygiene practices to support infection control

• End-to-End Project Management: From planning through installation, with minimal impact on care delivery

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.

Solution: Connext partnered with the healthcare provider to deploy IoT hygiene monitoring devices across multiple hospital campuses. These devices capture real-time hand hygiene data, empowering clinical and operations leaders to track compliance, identify trends, and take action to reduce infection risks.

The Connext team managed the project end-to-end, including site surveys, planning, and device installation, while minimizing disruption to patient care. Today, more than 7,300 devices are active across critical care areas, patient rooms, and high-traffic common spaces—delivering the visibility and accountability needed to improve patient safety and operational efficiency.

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.