Addressing the Joint Commission Requirements for Hand Hygiene

Soapy and The Joint Commission, Elevating Hand Hygiene to Meet National Patient Safety Standards

The Joint Commission is one of the most respected healthcare accrediting bodies in the United States, setting rigorous standards to ensure the safety, quality, and consistency of patient care. Among its many focus areas, hand hygiene is a cornerstone of its National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) — a set of evidence-based requirements aimed at reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) across all clinical environments.

The SoapyPro Intelligent Hand Hygiene System directly supports healthcare organizations in meeting and maintaining Joint Commission compliance by combining automation, real-time feedback, and data analytics to enhance accountability, adherence, and overall hygiene performance.

The Joint Commission’s Hand Hygiene Focus

Hand hygiene is a key element of the Joint Commission’s Infection Prevention and Control (IC) standards. These standards are built on the principle that effective hand hygiene saves lives, reduces HAIs, and strengthens patient trust in care quality.

The Joint Commission requires healthcare organizations to:

• Establish and follow a hand hygiene program consistent with CDC and WHO guidelines.

• Monitor compliance across all levels of staff.

• Provide feedback and education to improve adherence.

• Take corrective action when performance falls below defined thresholds.

• Demonstrate continuous improvement in infection prevention outcomes.

Failure to meet these requirements can affect accreditation status and reputation, making consistent compliance both a clinical and operational imperative.

How Soapy Supports The Joint Commission’s Standards

The SoapyPro Intelligent Hand Hygiene System was designed with these standards in mind, offering healthcare facilities a practical, measurable, and sustainable solution for Joint Commission compliance.

Here’s how Soapy helps organizations align with key hand hygiene goals:

1. Automated Compliance Monitoring
   Soapy eliminates the need for manual audits by continuously tracking hand hygiene events, providing reliable, objective data that can be easily documented for Joint Commission surveys and reports.

2. Real-Time Feedback and Performance Improvement
   The system gives immediate visual feedback on technique, duration, and coverage — helping staff correct mistakes on the spot and improve hand hygiene performance over time.

3. Education and Reinforcement
   Soapy’s smart interface incorporates step-by-step visual guidance aligned with WHO and CDC recommendations for hand hygiene training and education, transforming every handwash into a brief training moment that reinforces best practices and develops muscle memory.

4. Data-Driven Accountability
   Comprehensive analytics dashboards - SoapyWisdom - help infection prevention teams identify trends, track compliance by unit or shift, and implement targeted improvement strategies — exactly the kind of measurable progress The Joint Commission requires.

5. Building a Culture of Safety
   Beyond compliance, Soapy fosters a proactive safety culture. By gamifying hygiene and providing transparent performance metrics, the system motivates staff to take ownership of infection prevention — a core tenet of The Joint Commission’s vision for quality care.

The Outcome: Consistency, Confidence, and Compliance

Hospitals that implement Soapy’s intelligent hand hygiene system gain more than technology — they gain a framework for sustainable compliance. The system simplifies the reporting and documentation process during Joint Commission surveys, while helping facilities demonstrate measurable improvement in:

• Infection prevention outcomes

• Staff education and engagement

• Real-time compliance accuracy

• Ongoing quality improvement initiatives

Technology That Strengthens Accreditation Readiness

The Joint Commission’s mission is to ensure that every healthcare interaction is safe, high-quality, and patient-centered. Soapy’s mission is to make that vision achievable every day.

By aligning directly with The Joint Commission’s infection control standards and safety goals, Soapy provides hospitals with the data, transparency, and behavioral insight needed to maintain compliance, protect patients, and elevate the standard of care.

The Joint Commission sets the bar for safety; Soapy helps hospitals exceed it.

Learn more about The Joint Commission’s infection control standards at www.jointcommission.org.