Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/981659
38 Executive Briefing "We want this to be something that's encouraging, and that people feel competitive and proud about the fact that they do a great job of washing and sanitizing their hands before interacting with patients," says Ms. Burzycki. The dashboard also features information on device battery life and indicates when there is little to no product in automatic dispensers. Swift installation, robust data, substantial results Another unique component of the Ecolab system is how easily it can be installed. The solution requires little IT involvement and no major infrastructure. When Wellington (Fla.) Regional Medical Center opted to implement the Ecolab system, installation involved new faceplates for the sanitizing stations and a few monitoring beacons placed in different parts of the facility, according to the hospital's infection prevention director Dianne Manzari. "They didn't need anything from us from an IT perspective," says Ms. Manzari. "We just had to badge our employees, and that process went really well." When VCU Health in Richmond, Va., opted to pilot the Ecolab solution in two 30-bed units, the entire installation process took about a week, according to Nadia Masroor, an infection prevention data analyst with VCU Health. Ms. Masroor notes this swift installation process would not have been possible if VCU had chosen a real- time locating system solution to monitor hand hygiene. "With a RTLS solution, this process would have taken much longer because the patient would have had to be taken out of the room," Ms. Masroor says. "[The Ecolab] solution is much easier because the patient can remain in the room during the installation process, because it doesn't require any sort of drilling under the bed." Ms. Masroor also notes that immediately following installation, providers began receiving feedback. With direct observation, feedback is limited — hand hygiene observers cannot be on the floor 24 hours a day. The Ecolab compliance system, on the other hand, monitors every single hand hygiene opportunity. In the span of two months, the solution captured data on 400,000 hand hygiene interactions at VCU. Ms. Masroor says they've used the data to encourage top hand hygiene performers. "It doesn't have to be a punitive thing," Ms. Masroor says. "We acknowledge and share this information with our staff who are doing well." At Wellington Regional Medical Center, leaders were outspoken with staff about how the solution was meant to directly translate into improved outcomes and better patient safety. This, and the fact that the compliance system does not track the movement of providers or when they go on breaks, helped some staff members overcome any concerns regarding perceived "big brother" elements sometimes associated with electronic monitoring. The implementation of the solution at Wellington Regional has yielded noticeable results. "This system allows us to push reports out to directors on a daily basis, and they can see down to the individual level how their staff performed and they can have real-time discussions with their staff about the data," Ms. Manzari says. "This is something direct observation never gave us the opportunity to do. … It has most definitely changed behavior." The rate of hand hygiene compliance at the Florida hospital has doubled since the installation of the Ecolab system, according to Ms. Manzari. The sort of success documented at Wellington Regional with the Ecolab system is not unique. Ms. Burzycki says Ecolab has been documenting significant improvements in hand hygiene adherence with those who have implemented the compliance solution. "In one recent trial in a single unit we saw a 200 percent increase in compliance," Ms. Burzycki says. "They went from the 20s to the low 80s within 30 days of implementing the system and continued increase." Ms. Burzycki adds that hospitals where the Ecolab system has been in place long-term, periods ranging from two to six years, are sustaining hand hygiene compliance rates of 90 percent on average. Why now is the time to implement an electronic hand hygiene solution Federal scrutiny of hospitals with regards to hand hygiene performance has intensified in 2018. As of Jan. 1, The Joint Commission began citing individual failures to perform hand hygiene in the process of direct patient care as a deficiency, meaning providers' accreditation is at risk when individual staff members are seen being noncompliant. The rule applies to all accreditation programs. Before 2018, surveyors with the commission would only cite a failure to implement hand hygiene improvement programs and make progress with these programs as a deficiency, with exceptions to home and ambulatory care accreditation programs. Ecolab supports The Joint Commission's focus on hand hygiene by working to ensure each patient interaction is safe through the monitoring of 100 percent of events for provider wash in and wash out. The company also engages in risk-sharing agreements to create strong client partnerships aimed at achieving and sustaining high rates of hand hygiene compliance. The Ecolab system will help hospitals get compliance above 80 percent and keep it there, month after month and year after year. Hand hygiene is a basic function in any hospital or health system, and no organization has it right until it can report 100 percent adherence rates around the clock. Fortunately, hospitals, clinicians and caregivers can improve their hand hygiene and augment compliance programs through affordable, easy-to-use electronic monitoring systems that help physicians practice at their best. n A trusted partner at more than two million customer locations, Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources. With annual sales of $14 billion and 48,000 associates, Ecolab delivers compre- hensive solutions, data-driven insights and on-site service to promote safe food, maintain clean environments, optimize water and energy use, and improve operational efficiencies for customers in the food, healthcare, energy, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world. For more Ecolab news and information, visit www.ecolab.com. Follow us on Twitter @ecolab, Facebook at facebook.com/ecolab, LinkedIn at Ecolab or Insta- gram at Ecolab Inc.