As you might be aware, the North Shore Hospital has placed sensors over the doorway to help control hand hygiene. There is a sensor over the doorway that senses that you have enter the doorway. The camera turns on above the sink and hand dispenser “to make sure doctors and nurses are washing their hands. According to Dr. Erfan Hussain “When you speak with any doctor they agree that this is something everyone should absolutely do but because of time, energy, busyness…sometimes gets missed.”
Several years ago I had to take my youngest son to the emergency room because he had severed his Achilles tendon. As we sat in the emergency room for about two hours, I had six clinicians approach us. Only one of the six clinicians washed their hands between the previous patient and my son. To the right of my son was an individual to have severe infection from a spider bite and had pus running down his arm. To the left of my son was a patient who had a pop varicose vein and had blood all over. I was very surprised to see that only one of the clinicians washed their hands spontaneously before coming to my son. I asked each of the remaining five clinicians if they would please wash their hands before they examined my son. Three of them wash their hands cheerfully and then came back and examine my son. The remaining two indicated that they had wash their hands prior to coming over to treat my son. I asked them if they knew would watch their hands again so I could watch them. One did as he grumbled. The remaining one refused to wash their hands and so I asked them to please find a replacement-they were not very happy with my request.
What would you do? Do you think your institution would feel like the North Shore Hospital and request that video cameras be placed to confirm that hands were actually been washed?
What do you think?