Revolutionary hand hygiene: Rostock clinic relies on digital control!

Revolutionary hand hygiene: Rostock clinic relies on digital control!

In a groundbreaking step to improve hand hygiene in German clinics, the Rostock University Medical Center has launched an innovative project: “DiSH-O-Klin”. This pioneering effort uses state-of-the-art technology to monitor and optimize hospital staff's disinfection habits. Every use is registered via Bluetooth-enabled disinfectant dispensers, and employees not only receive feedback on their hand disinfection through electronic name tags, but also a motivating “smiley” rating. This increases awareness of hygiene and increases motivation to comply with the regulations.

A decisive step against hospital germs

Hand hygiene is not only a duty, but a life-saving measure in healthcare. Shocking figures show that up to 80 percent of all infections in hospitals are transmitted via hands! The DiSH-O-Klin project, which has been running since mid-2023 and will continue until 2026, aims to significantly reduce the number of nosocomial infections. Between 400,000 and 600,000 patients in Germany are affected by hospital infections every year, and the number of unreported cases could be even higher. The consequences are devastating: thousands of deaths and immense treatment costs averaging 11,000 euros per case of infection.

The technology behind DiSH-O-Klin is not only new, but is also based on an already successful system that was developed in 2018 at the Helios-Hanseklinikum Stralsund. The knowledge gained there has reduced the number of infections by more than a third. By integrating new hardware and logic components, the aim is now to create a comprehensive, networked system for continuous monitoring of the hygiene situation in the clinic. Supported by various partners, including the Institute for Computer Science at the University of Rostock and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the project shows great potential to serve as a model for other institutions.