HyGreen, Inc. announces that it will showcase its hand hygiene system, HyGreen®, at the National Patient Safety Foundation's 14th annual Patient Safety Congress. This year's event will be held at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in Washington, D.C. May 23-25, 2012. HyGreen will demonstrate its real-time electronic hand hygiene recording and reminding system at booth #213. Â
Studies show that handwashing is the simplest and most effective way to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Despite this, hand hygiene in hospitals is low, averaging 40 percent. Lack of hand washing has lead to the 1.7 million infections recorded in the U.S. each year adding more than $40 billion annually to U.S. healthcare costs. HyGreen's ability to remind healthcare workers to wash before patient contact enhances patient safety and helps hospitals lower healthcare associated infections.Â
"With healthcare associated infections on the rise, it is more important than ever to improve patient safety and quality through reducing infections," says HyGreen CEO Craig T. Davenport. "Patient Safety Congress attendees will get a unique opportunity to use HyGreen and talk to experts about how HyGreen can work in their infection control programs."
Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet a user of the HyGreen system. Barbara Simmonds, RN, BS, CIC from Miami Children's Hospital will be presenting a poster, "Effects of Electronic Monitoring on Hand Hygiene Adherence and Healthcare Associated Infections" at the Patient Safety Congress. This poster will compare hand hygiene observation rates and infection rates pre- and post-HyGreen installation.