Prompts for Handwashing with Gel

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The aim of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of an automated prompting device called Prompts for Handwashing with Gel (PHG). PHG will increase the use of antiseptic alcohol based gel for hand hygiene at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, MD, where we will develop it. PHG will deliver automatic voice prompts to remind subjects to wash hands with alcohol based gel rather than with soap and water, if they wash at a sink, and to remind them to wash with gel if they do not wash at all. The messages will not discourage hygiene with soap and water when hands are visibly soiled. Our work is motivated by our NIH - sponsored Prompts for Handwashing project, where we found that, prompting for hand hygiene increased compliance and reduced the nosocomial infection rate at two different hospitals. The pre test phase will measure the baseline hand hygiene rate, the test phase will measure the response of the subjects to prompts and the post test phase will measure the extent to which the use of gel has been retained. The nosocomial infection rate will decrease, although we will not measure that change in Phase but in Phase II we will test PHG for an extended period wherein we will demonstrate a reduction in the nosocomial infection rate as well as an increase in hand hygiene. In Phase III an Amron subsidiary company, ASC, will commercialize PHG. ASC will purchase, install and maintain the PHG components. ASC staff will be employees obtained from Amron and temporary service agencies. Financing will come from investment by Amron, individual investors, and commercial loans. We will sell to hospitals in the area, and hope to achieve 100 sales in the first year. We expect to charge about $10,000 for installation and $2,000 per month rent.