Vitalacy

infection

Hand hygiene promotional graphic with a hand under a soap dispenser, surrounded by the text "Seconds save lives: Clean your hands!" and the World Health Organization logo.

WHO Report Reveals IPC Programs Emphasizing Hand Hygiene Can Reduce HAIs by 70%

The first-ever Global Report on Infection Prevention and Control from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that good hand hygiene and other cost-effective infection prevention and control (IPC) practices can prevent 70% of nosocomial infections also referred to as healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). In addition, the new report states that hand hygiene and environmental hygiene in …

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Understanding the Correct and Incorrect Uses of Gloves for World Hand Hygiene Day

For this year’s World Hand Hygiene Day on May 5, starting an initiative to educate healthcare staff about the correct and incorrect uses of clinical gloves would be a worthy endeavor. Allow me to relate a personal experience I had that illustrates what unfortunately is an all-too-common situation in hospitals. My husband was recently hospitalized, …

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A graphical representation showing the percentage of Americans washing their hands frequently, comparing pre-COVID times, April 2020, January 2021, and 2022, accompanied by an illustration of hands being washed with water, soap, and germs.

Did COVID Improve America’s Hand Hygiene?

COVID infections are down across the nation, and masks are becoming optional in various settings across the United States. With many Americans looking forward to mask-less social encounters, how do they feel about another important infection prevention method — handwashing — right now? The Healthy Handwashing Survey, conducted periodically since 2009 by Bradley Corporation, provides …

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Making A Financial Case for Automated Hand Hygiene Compliance. Part 3: Cost of Penalties and Burnout

The first two parts of this series about how to make a financial case for automated, or electronic, hand hygiene compliance systems covered the costs of healthcare-acquired infections (Nour-Omid, July 26, 2021) and the costs of direct observation of care providers’ compliance (Nour-Omid, Aug. 16, 2021). This article covers the cost of penalties received by …

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Medical professional wearing a protective face shield, mask, and scrub cap looking out of a window.

Healthcare-Acquired COVID Infections Signal A Need for IPC Culture in Hospitals

Protecting patients and workers inside of a hospital from the spread of infectious pathogens requires testing, personal protective equipment (PPE) and data – information about care providers’ compliance with infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures. In the case of COVID, it also requires vaccination. All of these tools are needed for hospitals to create and …

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Vitalacy’s New SmartBadge Developed with Leapfrog Hand Hygiene Standards In Mind

In response to customers’ demand for accurate and upgradable hand hygiene compliance monitoring devices, Vitalacy, Inc., has introduced a new, entry-level SmartBadge to its suite of patient safety products. Designed to fit behind a care provider’s ID badge, the device captures and delivers individual-, unit- and facility-level hand hygiene performance data to hospital leaders responsible …

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Care Provider with 'Safety First' Sign

Two Reports Point Way to Post-COVID Safety

Two recent articles show the detrimental impact of COVID-19 on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and patient safety; these reports also provide guidance on what healthcare organizations must do to renew their commitments to safety culture in the post-COVID-19 environment. The first article, “The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on healthcare-associated infections in 2020: A summary …

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Digital display of hand hygiene compliance metrics on a laptop, accompanied by wristband monitors and an automatic hand sanitizer dispenser with wireless connectivity symbols.

Vitalacy Increases Customer Footprint with Hand Hygiene Automation

LOS ANGELES, Calif., September 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ —Vitalacy, a health and hygiene technology company committed to reducing infection risk with SaaS based solutions, announced today the increase of its customer footprint with the addition of new implementations and expanded projects with current customers. Clients have seen their hand hygiene compliance rates double just a few …

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Cartoon illustration of two medical professionals and a businessman, with one using a hand hygiene device near a door.

Making A Financial Case for Automated Hand Hygiene Compliance. Part 2: Cost of Direct Observation

Our previous blog article about making a financial case for automated hand hygiene compliance covered the costs of healthcare-acquired infections. In this one, we’ll explain why the money spent on direct observation often leads to misleading compliance data. It’s clear that direct observation inflates hand hygiene compliance rates (Nour-Omid, 2021), according to evidence found in …

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Illustration featuring money bags, scales of justice, a bus, and hands being sanitized.

Making the Financial Case for Automated Hand Hygiene Compliance. Part 1: The Costs of HAIs

How do you make a financial case for investing in an automated hand hygiene compliance system during a time of tight budgets? Consider two scenarios – first, a hospitalized patient acquires a central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) due to inadequate hand hygiene, and a second, proper hand hygiene that saves the patient from getting this …

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