Implementing a radio frequency identification system is not enough on its own to maintain a high hand hygiene compliance rate at facilities, according to RFID Journal.
Researchers at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Washington University in St. Louis and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia conducted a study analyzing 71 RFID units throughout 42 hospitals to understand its effect on hand hygiene compliance.
Here are five notes:
1. The highest compliance rate researchers noted after implementing RFID was 180 percent. The average compliance increase was nearly 55 percent.
2. However, researchers noted a maximum decrease of 75.6 percent in compliance after removing the technology.
3. Researchers found compliance rates initially increased following RFID implementation, but facilities had a gradual decline in the years following implementation.
4. Researchers concluded while RFID can increase compliance, managerial commitment is needed to experience steady improvement over time. Researchers noted employees would stop complying with regulations if they deemed management commitment was diminished.
5. The study is limited in that the researchers did not study the management policies in place in combination with each RFLID solution.
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