Prototype development of an image-based system to identify hand hygiene of health professionals in intensive care units

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2010, the hospital-acquired infections affected 14% of the internments. This alarming statistic lead to the creation of the Patient Security Nucleus (PSN) in 2013. In the same year, the agency published basic protocols of patient security, including hand hygiene. Considering the difficulty in monitoring the hygiene of the employees, this research project aims to develop a camera system installed in Intensive Care Units (ICU) that uses facial recognition and analyses if the employee used the hygiene liquid before a procedure. These information are stored in a server that registers time, name, picture and hygiene status. If the system verifies that the employee did not hygienize, an alert is generated and sent to the hospital's managing system or by e-mail. (AU)