Proventix Partners with Synapse Wireless to Fight HAIs

Proventix Systems, Inc., of Birmingham, Ala., announce a partnership with Synapse Wireless, another Alabama-based technology company, that will help them fight the spread of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs).

According to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, HAIs contribute $28 billion to $33 billion in excess healthcare costs each year. "There are 90,000 people a year that die from contracting infectious diseases in hospitals," says Wade Patterson, CEO and founder of Synapse Wireless. "Yes, it will save a lot of money, but, more importantly, it will save lives and that makes it worthwhile."

The Centers for Disease Control and revention (CDC), The Joint Commission and other healthcare-related organizations are placing increasing emphasis on the importance of effective hand hygiene compliance as the best way to help reduce the spread of infection. An estimated 1.7 million people will be affected by HAIs due to hospital stays in the United States each year.

"Proventix developed the nGage system which is a touchless hand communication and hand hygiene monitoring system to help eliminate the spread of infections in hospitals," said Harvey Nix, inventor of nGage, founder and CEO of Proventix. "Our partnership with Synpase Wireless now enables us to use their SNAP technology to make our system wireless."

To the system, Proventix brings an expertise in hand hygiene compliance monitoring, point-of-care communication, and behavior modification. Synpase Wireless contributes an established automated, wireless communication system that allows the network to be reliable and cost-efficient. This touchless, hand hygiene monitoring system is now easy and inexpensive for hospitals to retrofit into existing facilities.

The nGage system monitors hand hygiene compliance 24 hours a day, 7 days week without any disruption of workflow. Healthcare workers wear badges that are uniquely recognized by control units at soap dispensers throughout the hospital. When the worker enters a room or area where there is a wall-mounted control unit, they are recognized and, upon the completion of a quality hand hygiene event, they can be given important, patient-specific information such as the patient is at risk for a fall, general employee information, or employee-specific information such as stock market reports or baseball scores.

Harvey Nix states, "Health care workers want to do a good job, and know that hand hygiene is the best way to eliminate the spread of infections. So to compel and encourage them to reach hand hygiene compliance, we want to give something back to them without adding to their already demanding job."