Stopping infections with intelligent soap dispensers
The Danish State Serum Institute estimates that 3.000 people die annually, following hospital-inflicted infections, stemming from poor hand-hygiene. Diseases resulting from lacking hygiene are estimated to cost the Danish state 4 billion DKK every year.
Life-threatening lack of hygiene
When faced with a problem of lacking hygiene threatening patient lives, two hospitals in the capital regions of Denmark tested the potential of using automated soap dispenser to bring down the risk of infection.
Improving hygiene by automating the bathroom process
Analyses showed that only about 33% of all toilet users washed their hands with soap, the hospitals installed an intelligent soap dispenser: Registering when the toilet is flushed, the soap dispenser will blink. Afterward, the users are kindly encouraged via wireless blinking signals to use the towel dispenser, and finally the sanitizer.
A total of 10.000 bathroom visits were registered. After the soap dispenser was installed, the rate of hand-washing skyrocketed: suddenly, about 80% of patients and visitors now washed their hands with soap, and almost 100% of hospital employees now remembered to properly wash their hands.
Helping realize the potential
Develco Products has worked with a solution provider within this field and has delivered the wireless communication technology that allows the toilet and soap dispenser to communicate, as well as report the soap dispensing rate to a gateway that collects and presents the information to hospital staff.