Sometimes It’s the Simple Things

Maybe because technology moves so quickly now—what some are
calling the “ten year century”—we’ve come to anticipate the type of technology and
innovations that once you have it, you can’t imagine how you lived life without
it. But sometimes the game-changers aren’t wild, new, complicated,
ground-breaking technologies like smart phones or the iPod. Sometimes the
innovations with the most impact are just plain smart.

Like this. A study from a few years back showed that just
more than half (57%) of doctors washed their hands between every patient.
(Ick.) Given that there are approximately two million infections acquired in
the hospital each year, and we already know that hand-washing helps control germs,
U.S. hospitals are trying out systems that gauge a health worker’s hand-washing in
relation to his/her patient-touching. An RFID chip is put into the doctor, nurse, or technician's nametag and is scanned by the soap dispenser. Then another bedside
sensor determines whether too much time has passed between the hand-washing and
the patient interaction. If it has, the name badge has a computerized voice
that calls the doctor out BY NAME and insists they go wash their hands.

Using technology to improve the very basics of health care.  Genius… And for some, truly life-changing.