3M and Patient Care Technology Systems Collaborate on Automated Hand Hygiene Solution

3M and Patient Care Technology Systems (PCTS), a subsidiary of Consulier Engineering, Inc. today announced that they have signed an agreement to bring a state-of-the-art automated hand hygiene compliance solution to healthcare customers globally. 

“The agreement with PCTS combines their industry-leading technology with our proven expertise in hand hygiene, and strengthens our goal of reducing hospital acquired infections and improving patient outcomes,” said Debra Rectenwald, division vice president, 3M Infection Prevention. “Together, PCTS and 3M will bring an innovative solution to market that helps our healthcare customers better meet stringent regulatory and reporting requirements.”

The system will be based on PCTS’ Amelior 360° Hand Hygiene™ module, a hand hygiene compliance solution designed for hospitals, surgical centers, clinics and other healthcare facilities. Using real-time locating system (RTLS) technology and specialized hand hygiene dispenser attachments, the technology includes PCTS’ tracking and workflow orchestration engine, which automatically and continuously evaluates staff members’ hand hygiene activities throughout a patient encounter. Caregivers are notified when they have or have not complied with appropriate protocols. 

The system also alerts supervisory personnel to coaching opportunities when a caregiver repeatedly fails to comply with hand hygiene guidelines during a shift, or when a worker’s failure to comply with hand hygiene guidelines for one patient may cross-contaminate a different patient.

“3M is a worldwide leader in technology and healthcare innovation, and through our collaboration we will be able to extend the reach of hand hygiene compliance automation,” said Tony Marsico, president and chief executive officer of PCTS.  “With more focus on reduction of HAIs than ever before, our new technology will help healthcare facilities worldwide improve communication, enhance coordination, streamline process flow, and most importantly, improve hand hygiene compliance.”

An upcoming conference in Atlanta will feature interactive demonstrations of the Amelior 360° Hand Hygiene compliance system by PCTS and 3M. PCTS will demonstrate the system in its booth (#1021) at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems (HIMSS) Conference taking place March 1-4, 2010.