Tracking Device in Hospitals Helps You Remember to Wash Your Hands Well

Some of aren't too good about remembering to wash our hands. In fact, every now and then, we might skip it all together, especially if we're in a hurry. However, for medical staff working in hospitals around sick patients, foregoing certain hygiene procedures just might cost a patient their life.

Fortunately, for those who undermine the health necessities of staying clean and healthy in the medical environment, a new technological device could possibly track who's not following proper procedures, and alert attention via beeping or lights to warn of germs.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health experts say that poor hand cleanliness borne infections can potentially kill tens of thousands of Americans each year alone.

"We've known for over 150 years that good hand hygiene prevents patients from getting infections," said Dr. John Jernigan, an epidemiologist for the CDC, via Yahoo News. "However, it's been a very chronic and difficult problem to get adherence levels up as high as we'd like them to be."

Despite numerous new attempts to promote cleanliness in hospitals and other medical facilities--anything from signs to mascots--some people just don't follow the rules, and a device to monitor who is and who isn't could be just the thing to provide some much needed help.

Some researchers are hopeful that this device, HyGreen Inc's Hand Hygiene Reminder System, could lead to a cleaner and potentially safer hospital environment. The device was developed by two University of Florida doctors and features two systems currently used in seven hospitals, including Veterans Administration hospitals in Chicago, Wilmington, Del., and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., according to various reports.

When a medical staff member washes his or her hands and places them close to the device, a sensor in it detects chemical vapors from an alcohol-based solution, according to the company's website. If your hands are clean, the badge illuminates a bright green hand symbol. If they're not, an alarm goes off and will continue to flash red and make sound every 10 seconds for a 40 second period-alerting other staff.

The creators as well as other hospital staff using the device hope that it could potentially create better hand-washing habits and general hygiene practices throughout hospitals.