INFECTION PREVENTION


A show of hands


Technology makes a solid showing in the world of hand hygiene compliance monitoring by Nancy Pasternack


Photo credit: peterschreiber.media | stock.adobe.com N


early two years after U.S. hospitals documented their first cases of COVID-19, calls for vigilance in hand hygiene protocols have not let up. Neither has the demand for hand hygiene-related products.


“Hand hygiene has always been a top priority for healthcare facilities,” says Deborah Chung, North America Marketing Manager, Healthcare/ Professional Hygiene for Essity. The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, followed by its virulent and highly transmissible Delta variant, have kept hand soaps, hand sanitizers – and espe- cially EMS technology – front and center. “People are now more aware of their own need to follow proper hygiene prac- tices,” Chung said. Her company makes Tork skincare solutions, including Tork Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitizer, and Tork Vision Cleaning, an electronic monitoring system (EMS) that reports hand towel, toilet paper and skincare product use. It uses high-resolution indoor positioning technology which can, according to the company’s website, “provide healthcare professionals with more accurate data that can be presented to staff in real time.” It’s one of a diverse and growing array of technology-based hand hygiene moni- tors now on the market. The pandemic heightened awareness about the virus’ high transmissibility, and the need to fi nd products, “to effec- tively wash, dry and sanitize hands to


prevent the spread of illness,” Chung said.


Demand for hand sanitizer, across all segments of the healthcare landscape, has been strong.


During COVID-19’s early surges, “many hospitals across the country reported hand sanitizer usage of three-to-four times normal levels,” says Jaimee Rosenthal, Acute Healthcare Market Director of GOJO Industries, which makes PURELL hand sanitizers.


To keep up with elevated demand, she said, “GOJO substantially increased both production and distribution capac- ity and created a vertically integrated supply chain.” Rosenthal said. Her com- pany responded quickly to the spike in demand, “to ensure we can be even more effective and effi cient as we support our customers.”Yessica Artzerounian notes several purchasing trends in her role as Senior Portfolio Executive at Vizient. Her company, which boasts a mem-


bership of more than half the healthcare organizations in the U.S., leverages its scale as purchasing power for hospitals, academic medical centers, pediatric and other healthcare facilities.


Recently, Artzerounian said, “our mem-


bers have diversified their purchasing strategy to incorporate different sourcing streams.”


She has seen other market changes too. “Our members have pivoted from gel hand sanitizing products to foam products


30 October 2021 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • hpnonline.com


when possible,” she said. “Foam has effi - cient sanitizing dosage that improves the total cost investment and higher skin health satisfaction reviews from our frontline users.”


Diversifi cation Artzerounian said the product diversifi ca- tion she has seen in members’ purchasing habits includes increased investment in electronic monitoring. “Infection Prevention teams across the U.S. are revitalizing their overall approach to hand hygiene and looking into technol- ogy such as hand hygiene compliance monitoring systems to help them do so,” she said. “The goal is to implement a hand hygiene program for their team to provide top quality care by committing to high hand hygiene standards to reduce infections or the spread of disease,” she said. Healthcare products company GOJO


offers its own technology-based monitor- ing system.


The GOJO SMARTLINK system was used recently in a hand hygiene compli- ance study conducted at The University of Chicago Medical Center. Findings from that study were published in the July issue of the Journal of American Medical Association.1 “An infrared sensor anonymously records all dispenser uses, and entries into and exits from inpatient rooms,” to esti- mate hand hygiene compliance, according


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