A low-cost custom HF RFID system for hand washing compliance monitoring

We present here our design of a custom lowcost RFID system for hand washing compliance monitoring and prompting in a hospital environment for reducing nosocomial infection. Various system design considerations are discussed, including the design of our custom low-cost high frequency (HF) RFID antenna that works just as well as the commercially available ones but at a fraction of the cost.

[1]  J. Burke,et al.  Infection control - a problem for patient safety. , 2003, The New England journal of medicine.

[2]  E. Lautenbach,et al.  Prevention and treatment of health care-acquired infections. , 2008, The Medical clinics of North America.

[3]  E. Larson,et al.  A causal link between handwashing and risk of infection? Examination of the evidence. , 1988, Infection control : IC.

[4]  Arjun K Venkatesh,et al.  Use of electronic alerts to enhance hand hygiene compliance and decrease transmission of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus in a hematology unit. , 2008, American journal of infection control.

[5]  P. Lipsett,et al.  Electronic monitoring and voice prompts improve hand hygiene and decrease nosocomial infections in an intermediate care unit* , 2004, Critical care medicine.

[6]  D. Pittet,et al.  Improving Compliance With Hand Hygiene in Hospitals , 2000, Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

[7]  A Voss,et al.  No Time for Handwashing!? Handwashing Versus Alcoholic Rub Can We Afford 100% Compliance? , 1997, Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

[8]  R. Haley,et al.  The nationwide nosocomial infection rate. A new need for vital statistics. , 1985, American journal of epidemiology.

[9]  P. Lipsett,et al.  Isolation status and voice prompts improve hand hygiene. , 2007, American journal of infection control.

[10]  W. R. Jarvis,et al.  Infection control and changing health-care delivery systems. , 2001, Emerging infectious diseases.