By HFT Staff

Six months after implementing BioVigil’s electronic hand hygiene solution, an automated way to monitor and measure staff hand hygiene behavior, Griffin Hospital has strengthened its commitment to the person-centered principles of transparency, partnership and empowerment while enhancing patient safety and experience within the hospital.  

Griffin Hospital, in Derby, Connecticut, is the first hospital in the state and the first within the Planetree healthcare organization to use BioVigil’s electronic hand hygiene solution. The system is used in all patient units, including the emergency department and ambulatory services.  

BioVigil uses infrared location tracking technology connected to individual user badges that monitor when healthcare workers enter and exit a patient room, and when they perform hand hygiene either with hand sanitizer or soap and water. The system collects data that is linked to each user’s badge, enabling care teams to monitor hand hygiene compliance, track cross contamination and conduct thorough contact-tracing to pinpoint sources of infection should they occur, and prevent future transmission.  

“BioVigil has been a wonderful addition to our patient care safety practices and complements Griffin’s Planetree person-centered care philosophy,” said Griffin Health vice president of patient safety & care improvement Holly Major, APRN. “The Planetree principles encourage the use of data to ensure safe, accessible, high-quality care, which BioVigil provides through accurate measurement of hand hygiene compliance.”  

Since installing the BioVigil system six months ago, Griffin Health’s staff compliance with hand hygiene protocols has increased, and the facility has recorded nearly two million hand hygiene opportunities. This gives Griffin Health helpful data they can use to identify gaps and provide additional coaching as needed to improve hand hygiene practice.  

To amplify the focus of hand hygiene, Griffin actively informs patients and visitors about the hand hygiene technology with posters, in-room signage and inpatient guides, encouraging them to ask caregivers to wash their hands if the caregiver’s badge is red.  

“A key element of person-centered care is involving patients and their families in the healthcare process to enhance the quality of their experience and deliver meaningful health education,” said Kelly Egan, MSN, RN, FAB, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Griffin Health. “We value the visual cue of the BioVigil badge, as it actively engages patients in supporting a culture of exceptional safety.”  

More than 1.7 million healthcare associated infections (HAIs) occur in the United States each year, leading to additional illness, longer hospital stays and sometimes death. Proper hand hygiene is one of the most reliable ways to prevent HAIs.  

“We are excited to partner with Griffin Health and to play a part in supporting their culture of person-centered excellence,” said Erik Axter, BioVigil president and CEO. “Together, we are improving quality and safety by something as simple as ensuring clean hands.”  

BioVigil is a complete electronic hand hygiene system including a room sensor, sink sensor, badge sensor and robust data suite. The BioVigil system has helped partners across the country improve hand hygiene behavior, reduce HAIs by up to 83 percent, achieve and sustain 97 percent hand hygiene compliance and improve LeapFrog quality grades.