Posted: June 10th, 2009 - 1:59pm by Megan Hardigree

To combat the increasing number of hospital-acquired infections—about 2 million patients annually according to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement—Versus Technology Inc. has developed a new way to observe handwashing compliance in healthcare workers using IR-RFID badges. When a member of the staff washes their hands, the IR-RFID on the badge is signaled by the IR-RFID on the soap or alcohol rub dispenser. The signals are recorded and reported (time and place). The system is based on accurate, real-time technology, which eliminates the bias that direct observations have.

Chief intellectual property officer of Versus, Henry Tenarvitz, said, 

“It is very important to Versus Technology that we provide solutions that not only reduce the potential for hospital acquired infections, but do so in a way that increases hospital staff efficiency. At the same time…. these systems must be priced at a level that most hospitals can afford. Our commitment to making compliance systems affordable has driven Versus to discover ways to leverage existing nurse call infrastructure to control installation costs.”

The American Hospital Association exclusively endorses the Versus IR-RFID Solution System.