SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVING HAND HYGIENE COMPLIANCE

A method and apparatus that systematically prompts staff, patients and visitors at care facilities to perform handwashing at critical time periods, for example after touching a toilet flush handle or upon entering or leaving a patient's room. A plurality of detectors are used to sense whether a person has entered an area and to determine whether the person has cleansed their hands within a predetermined period of time before entering the area or leaving the area. If it is determined that the person has cleansed their hands within the predetermined period of time, no prompting message is generated. If it is determined that the person has not cleansed their hands within the predetermined period of time, an audio/visual warning message is generated.