Biovigil Targets Hospital Handwashing With Color-Coded Badges

Proper handwashing is a simple, yet vitally important task, especially when it comes to doctors and nurses. The occurrence of infections in patients that result after admittance is high, and in a bid to help solve this problem, Biovigil has unveiled a color-coded badge and sensor system that shames doctors that don't scrub up.

The sensor-toting Biovigil system uses traffic-light colors — green, yellow, and red — to shown the frequency that a doctor or nurse washes their hands. It works in conjunction with a badge the worker clips to his or her shirt, which communicates with infrared sensors put in hospital rooms.

The badge tracks when a worker enters the room, and when they leave. When the doctor or nurse washes their hands, they hold them up to the badge's sensors, which will determine if they're germ-free. If they are, the badge turns green and all is well.

If the hands aren't immediately washed, the badge will turn a warning yellow, and after time, it will turn red, indicating that the worker needs to take a moment to scrub. This communicates to those nearby whether a doctor or nurse has neglected to wash their hands immediately, and thusly doubles as a potential badge of shame.

SOURCE: Wired