Page 54 - CIJ May 2024 Digital Edition

HYGIENE
HAND-MEDIATED
TRANSMISSION OF
MICROORGANISMS IS A
MAJOR FACTOR IN THE
SPREAD OF HEALTHCARE-
ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS.
Hemant Kumar Singh
MAY 2024•Clean India Journal
54 www.cleanindiajournal.com
offer the development and individualized performance
of machine learning feedback. AI applications and
applications to support machine learning can use data
healthcare staff, IPC to predict future outbreaks and
education, and audits. suggest IPC interventions.
However, wearable Hemant Kumar Singh, Manager
devices worn on of Housekeeping at Medanta
wrists may be a Hospital, opines that condition
potential source of monitoring measures, such as
infection. staff satisfaction, may be a useful
Antimicrobial addition to existing hand hygiene
coatings (AMC) monitoring measures and add
are used in meaning to the recipients of
the healthcare the feedback data. Adding goal
environment to prevent setting, reward incentives, and
hospital-associated accountability strategies can lead
infections (HAIs). High- to further improvements in hand
touch surfaces in patient care hygiene.
areas are linked to HAIs by acting Hand hygiene innovations in
as vectors for the transmission of healthcare settings across India,
microbes. To mitigate this problem including integrating technological
of HAI, these high-touch surfaces solutions like automated dispensers,
can be coated with antimicrobial real-time compliance monitoring,
compounds. A drawback of this and data-driven feedback systems,
coating includes the potential risk
of the development and spread of have significantly improved
adherence to hand hygiene
antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.
protocols. The government’s
AI applications for hand hygiene increased focus on public health
compliance monitoring involve education and the adoption of
systems using camera-based global best practices have further
augmented reality and gamified bolstered the importance of hand
learning to train and monitor hand hygiene. As India continues to
hygiene processes with resultant innovate and implement these
improvements in compliance. A critical measures, the future of
mobile kiosk or smartphone app healthcare looks promising with
can be used by healthcare staff at a the potential for greater patient
suitable time to obtain immediate outcomes and a healthier nation.
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