Soapy Care's Impact on healthcare-associated infections

1. Background: A Global Leader Facing a Local Challenge

Sheba Medical Center is not just any hospital. It’s Israel’s largest medical campus, boasting 1,430 patient beds and encompassing a wide range of facilities, including a long-term care hospital, the renowned Safra Children’s Hospital, and an advanced rehabilitation institute. Consistently ranked among the top 10 medical centers in the world, Sheba’s reputation for excellence is matched only by its commitment to innovation.

Yet even world-class institutions face the persistent challenge of hospital-associated infections (HAIs) — invisible adversaries that compromise patient safety, extend hospital stays, and drive up healthcare costs. For years, Sheba’s Infection Prevention and Control Unit had implemented countless interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance, but results were mixed. The issue wasn’t ignorance — it was behavior.

When Dr. Eyal Zimelchman, Chief Transformation Officer, and Dr. Gili Regev Yochay, Head of Infection Prevention and Control, learned about Soapy’s AI-powered hand hygiene technology, they saw an opportunity to turn compliance into culture. In July 2022, Sheba launched a pilot with SoapyPro Mobile and Soapy Wisdom systems at the Children’s Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) and Oncology Unit, one of the hospital’s most sensitive and infection-prone environments.

2. The Opportunity: The High Cost of Poor Hygiene

Healthcare-associated infections remain one of the most critical challenges in modern medicine. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in every 31 hospital patients in developed countries contracts at least one HAI during their stay. These infections not only endanger patients but also significantly increase treatment costs and hospital workloads.

Decades of research have identified one clear, proven solution: proper hand hygiene. In fact, improving hand hygiene compliance is cited as the single most effective measure to prevent infection transmission in healthcare settings. Yet, achieving consistent compliance is notoriously difficult — traditional reminders and audits often fail to create lasting behavioral change.

Sheba’s leadership saw in Soapy’s technology an opportunity to move beyond checklists and reminders — toward a measurable, data-driven, and psychologically engaging solution that could finally make hand hygiene improvement sustainable.

3. The Solution: Smart Technology Meets Human Behavior

On July 1st, 2022, SoapyPro Mobile hand hygiene stations were installed at every patient room entrance in the Children’s BMT and Oncology department. Each station came equipped with Soapy Wisdom, an electronic monitoring system (EMS) designed to analyze and improve both compliance and technique.

Unlike traditional dispensers or visual reminders, SoapyPro goes further. The system provides:

• Real-time feedback on handwashing quality, duration, and motion accuracy.

• AI-based analysis of the user’s technique, including scrub and rub gestures.

• Gamified feedback loops that reward proper performance and encourage consistent improvement.

Within three weeks, measurable behavioral shifts were already visible:

• The average handwashing duration exceeded 15 seconds, surpassing WHO recommendations.

• The rub and scrub sequence accuracy significantly improved, indicating mastery of the full technique.

The results spoke for themselves — and then they started transforming the hospital’s hygiene culture.

4. The Results: From Data to Impact

Over the first year of implementation, the outcomes were striking:

1. 54% Reduction in Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
   The department saw infection rates drop by more than half, underscoring the direct correlation between hand hygiene quality and patient safety.

2. 62.5% Improvement in Hand Hygiene Quality
   The SoapyPro Mobile system didn’t just increase the frequency of handwashing — it improved how staff washed their hands, ensuring every step met WHO standards.

3. 58% Increase in Rub Duration
   Longer, more thorough handwashing sessions are scientifically proven to reduce microbial load. Staff didn’t just comply — they performed at higher quality.

4. Formation of a Self-Governance Culture
   Perhaps the most profound result was cultural: staff members began holding themselves — and each other — accountable. Compliance became a shared goal, not an external requirement.

In total, over 35,000 hand hygiene events were recorded during the study, providing Sheba’s infection control team with unprecedented visibility into behavior patterns, compliance trends, and areas for targeted training.

5. Discussion: The Ripple Effect of Behavioral Change

The SoapyPro impact extended beyond the department where it was installed. Teams in neighboring units began voluntarily improving their own hygiene habits — a sign that education and real-time feedback created a ripple effect across the hospital.

This aligns with behavioral science: when feedback is immediate, measurable, and rewarding, behavior improves and sustains itself.

Research consistently shows that individuals who spend less than 10 seconds washing their hands are significantly more likely to develop influenza-like illnesses, while those who wash longer dramatically reduce their infection risk. Sheba’s staff quickly embraced this awareness, turning feedback into habit and habit into culture.

6. Alignment with Global Standards: Leapfrog and Joint Commission Compliance

The SoapyPro deployment also positioned Sheba to meet — and exceed — international benchmarks for hospital hygiene excellence, including Leapfrog Group and Joint Commission standards.

a. Hand Hygiene Adherence

• Leapfrog Requirement: Demonstrate strict adherence to hand hygiene protocols.

• Outcome: SoapyPro delivered a 62.5% improvement in hand hygiene quality with ongoing adherence monitoring, directly aligning with Leapfrog’s expectations.

b. Real-Time Monitoring

• Leapfrog Requirement: Implement electronic systems to document hand hygiene performance.

• Outcome: Soapy’s EMS replaced manual paper audits with automated compliance tracking, ensuring accuracy and saving staff time.

c. Evidence-Based Strategies

• Leapfrog Requirement: Hospitals must employ data-backed infection prevention methods.

• Outcome: A 54% reduction in HAIs provided clear, measurable evidence of success.

d. Education and Training

• Leapfrog Requirement: Ongoing training for staff on proper hand hygiene techniques.

• Outcome: Soapy’s gamified and interactive platform keeps staff engaged through ongoing learning, far beyond traditional lectures.

e. Culture of Safety

• Leapfrog Requirement: Foster accountability and safety awareness across staff.

• Outcome: Soapy’s feedback and gamification features built a transparent, data-informed culture of continuous improvement.

f. Data Transparency and Reporting

• Leapfrog Requirement: Institutions must maintain transparent, reportable compliance data.

• Outcome: With 35,000+ observations logged, Sheba could easily report verified, standardized hygiene data — meeting both compliance and quality assurance requirements.

7. Conclusion: A Model for Global Adoption

The Sheba Medical Center case study provides powerful proof that when education, technology, and behavioral psychology converge, the results are transformative. The SoapyPro Mobile system not only reduced infection rates but fundamentally changed how healthcare professionals approach hand hygiene.

By merging real-time analytics, AI-driven feedback, and gamified engagement, Soapy’s technology achieved what decades of posters, reminders, and manual audits could not — it made hand hygiene measurable, repeatable, and rewarding.

In one year, Sheba’s Infection Prevention and Control team saw:

• 54% fewer hospital-associated infections

• 62.5% higher quality of hand hygiene

• 58% longer rub duration

• A hospital culture that values accountability over compliance

For hospitals striving to meet Leapfrog, Joint Commission, and WHO standards, Soapy’s systems offer a scalable solution that saves time, enhances safety, and protects patients.

8. The Future of Hygiene is Here

Sheba’s experience is not an isolated success — it’s a blueprint. As healthcare systems worldwide grapple with infection control challenges, AI-powered, feedback-based technologies like SoapyPro provide a path forward.

The data is clear. The psychology supports it. The impact is measurable.

Because when hand hygiene moves from routine to intelligent practice, hospitals move from reactive care to proactive prevention.

And that, ultimately, saves lives.

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