Patent ID: 8587437

Claim:
A method for monitoring hand hygiene policy in a communication system that includes at least one mobile electronic device having a radio transceiver, at least one wireless base station and a central computer, comprising: detecting through the radio transceiver of the mobile electronic device at least one signal of at least one radio transmitter of at least one base station; communicating signal strength data indicating the strength of at least one signal from the mobile electronic device to the central computer by means of the radio transceiver; and determining at the central computer whether a user of the mobile electronic device is in compliance with a hand hygiene policy based at least partially on the signal strength data received from the mobile electronic device; wherein the at least one base station comprises a hand hygiene station at which the user can perform a hand hygiene event, the hand hygiene station comprising a usage sensor adapted to detect a hand hygiene event at the hand hygiene station, the method further comprising the steps of: sensing a hand hygiene event at the hand hygiene station by means of the usage sensor; and communicating data indicating the sensed hand hygiene event from the hand hygiene station to the central computer by means of a radio transmitter of the hand hygiene station; wherein determining at the central computer whether the user is in compliance with the hand hygiene policy is also based on the hand hygiene event data from the hand hygiene station; and wherein the step of determining whether the user is in compliance comprises determining whether the user has cleaned his or her hands by: determining, in dependence on the signal strength data, that the user was within a first predetermined proximity to the hand hygiene station when the hand hygiene event occurred; and determining, in dependence on the signal strength data, that the user remained within a second predetermined proximity to the hand hygiene station for a predetermined length of time after the hand hygiene event occurred; wherein the communications system includes at least one infection risk station that includes a radio transmitter and indicates a location where individuals have a higher risk of receiving or transmitting infection, the method further comprising: detecting through the radio transceiver of the mobile electronic device a signal sent from the radio transmitter of the infection risk station; and communicating data indicating the strength of the signal from the infection risk station to the central computer by means of the radio transceiver; wherein determining whether the user is in compliance comprises determining, based on the data indicating the strength of the signal from the infection risk station, whether the user has cleaned his or her hands within a second predetermined length of time before entering a predetermined proximity of the infection risk station.