Washing hands with soap and water is imperative to fight against contagious diseases. The healthcare system is seemingly the most equipped to deal with infections, but that is not always the case. Stress and overcrowding of hospitals can lead healthcare personnel to overlook washing their hands. Since hospitals are naturally filled with sick, symptomatic carriers, healthcare workers must wash their hands properly and effectively at key times to avoid contracting and passing on illnesses. Hand hygiene adherence platform, these platform guide many people about their hygiene.
The WHO designed the “5 moments for handwashing” to diminish the risk of infection inside the healthcare system. The healthcare worker themselves, the patient, and the environment can help each pass on dangerous germs and viruses. The 5 moments for handwashing are meant to remind healthcare workers when they should wash their hands to prevent infections.
Here are the WHO’s 5 moments for handwashing:
- before touching a patient,
- before clean/aseptic procedures,
- after body fluid exposure/risk,
- after touching a patient,
- after touching the patient’s surroundings.
In a recent article, we explained the chain of infection. Here it can be seen broken at every link – by washing hands. Healthcare workers are instructed to wash their hands after touching the potential carrier of the pathogen and also before exposing themselves as a potential carrier to a patient, after contacting body fluids that might contain the pathogen, and also after touching the environment of the patient, which might hold pathogens. Handwashing can help healthcare workers avoid contracting an infectious disease, with soap dissolving many viruses’ structures.
Soapy and Healthcare Hand Hygiene
Soapy offers a unique solution – the CleanMachine. The CleanMachine dispenses the correct amount of soap and water needed for a thorough wash while highlighting problem areas on the skin. This ensures a perfect wash cycle every time. Hand hygiene adherence platform, these platform guide many people about their hygiene.
The CleanMachine also has a facial recognition feature, storing relevant hand hygiene data on the Soapy Wisdom platform. There, managers can recognize hand hygiene trends in their facilities and utilize the information for bettering infection prevention programs.
The WHO’s 5 moments for handwashing would be much easier to follow if every healthcare worker had access to the CleanMachine. The smart handwashing machine works automatically when its sensors detect hands, eliminating cross-contamination problems. The CleanMachine is extremely time-efficient, counting the seconds needed for a thorough wash for the worker and lighting a green light when done. If you want to learn more about CleanMachine, you can contact us here.
