Cooper University Health Care is a leading academic tertiary care health system and the only state-designated Level 1 Trauma Center in South Jersey. Along with its Camden-based hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Cooper consists of a network of more than 100 outpatient locations, an outpatient surgery, and three community based Urgent Care Centers throughout the South Jersey region. As a health care leader, with more than 1.5 million patient visits annually, patient safety is a top priority. A crucial component of patient safety is an effective infection prevention program to effectively reduce and prevent hospital acquired infections, while optimizing operational efficiencies, resources, and managing costs. One of the most basic and effective infection prevention techniques is practicing good hand hygiene.

To meet these objectives, Cooper has selected SwipeSense as their technology partner for its ability to automatically monitor hand hygiene compliance and to systematically track medical equipment. SwipeSense is an RTLS platform that powers Hand Hygiene Monitoring, Asset Tracking, and Labor Analytics applications, designed to cost-effectively reduce harm, create lasting behavior change, and eliminate waste in healthcare delivery networks.  

In today’s highly computerized clinical environment, clinicians interact with various alert-generating devices. Studies have found that the physiologic monitors in care units can generate millions of alerts, creating alert fatigue for busy healthcare workers. This often results in desensitization or failure to respond to critical warnings. 

SwipeSense smart sensors installed throughout Cooper’s facility will be used to monitor hand hygiene compliance, as well as to track the location and utilization of medical equipment. Over 2,400 colleagues at Cooper will wear a badge that automatically registers hand washing compliance. The platform provides real-time data for departments, units, and at an individual level, helping teams to accurately identify where improvements can be made to ensure patient safety. SwipeSense works in the background so staff and patient care are not disrupted.

In addition, asset tags will be attached to 1,200 medical devices, enabling staff to quickly locate equipment, measure utilization, and prevent loss of equipment that results in high costs.  

Cooper is confident in SwipeSense’s ability to facilitate a safer more efficient environment without adding inconsequential alerts.

SwipeSense was launched in 2011 to focus on eliminating preventable deaths caused by poor hand hygiene amongst healthcare workers. The platform’s evolution into Asset Tracking has proven dramatic results, reducing costs and time associated with lost and underutilized equipment. SwipeSense is now installed in more than 20 health systems nationwide and expects its footprint to more than double in 2019.

“We run a 24/7 hospital. I need insight into the hand hygiene barriers that our staff experience at any given time,” says Dr. Michael A. Kirchhoff, Patient Safety Officer at Cooper University Health Care. “When it comes down to it, impeccable hand hygiene is one of the most important barriers to helping keep our patients and staff safe.” 

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