Embedded System for Recording and Controlling Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Environments

Abstract

Nowadays, more effective control of hand hygiene (HH) by healthcare teams has become essential. HH control is crucial to prevent cross-contamination and healthcare-associated infections (HAI), according to Brazilian regulatory standards and WHO guidelines. The lack of widespread technology to measure acceptable hygiene rates within hospital environments leads to the practice of a manual sample audit reading, requiring more time for decision-making. Thus, the present study addresses the lack of automation technologies for HH, aiming to record, measure, and provide data for internal audits in hospitals. This article introduces an embedded system for HH control and recording, comprising low-cost hardware architecture with IoT connectivity and online monitoring. Results with practical evaluation in a real hospital setting for 3 hours demonstrated the system’s effectiveness in recording HH indices.