New badges track which staffers are — and aren’t — washing their hands

Following hand-washing protocols is one of the easiest — and most often ignored — ways to keep infections from spreading. But staffers may balk at the newest solution to this problem.

One company, Proventix, is testing a new type of badge to track hand-washing. Staffers such as nurses wear the badges which track when they enter patient rooms and whether or not they washed their hands upon entering or leaving.

The system is set up so that frequently non-compliant workers can get a text or e-mail reminding them to wash up.

Predictably, some workers dislike the idea of having their movements tracked so closely. And there’s still no data to show that such close monitoring actually changes how workers behave while on the clock.

What do you think: Is the privacy intrusion worth it to improve patient safety? Or is this a step too far? Sound off in the comments.

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