Advancing Hand Hygiene Practices: Developing a Sensor-Driven Touchless Hand Wash System
Abstract
Effective hand hygiene practices are crucial in preventing the transmission of infectious diseases. In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for touchless hand wash systems has intensified, aiming to minimize the risk of cross-contamination and promote convenient and hygienic handwashing experiences. This research presents the design, development, and evaluation of a touchless automatic hand wash system utilizing microcontroller technology. The system eliminates the need for physical contact with surfaces through the integration of sensor technologies and a central microcontroller controller. The research objectives include assessing the system's effectiveness compared to traditional hand wash methods, evaluating user satisfaction and acceptance, and analyzing the cost-effectiveness and practicality of implementation. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating design and development processes, comparative experiments, user feedback, and surveys. The findings contribute to the enhancement of hand hygiene practices, offering insights into the efficacy of touchless technologies and their potential impact on public health. The research outcomes provide valuable information for policymakers and stakeholders considering the implementation of touchless hand wash systems in various settings, with the ultimate goal of reducing the spread of infectious diseases and improving overall hygiene practices.(*JFR*)
Downloads
References
Anderson, M. E. C. (2015). Contact Precautions and Hand Hygiene in Veterinary Clinics. Veterinary Clinics of North America - Small Animal Practice, 45(2), 343–360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2014.11.003
Bal, M., & Abrishambaf, R. (2017). A system for monitoring hand hygiene compliance based-on Internet-of-Things. Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Industrial Technology, 1348–1353. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICIT.2017.7915560
Cheng, V. C. C., Wong, S. C., Chuang, V. W. M., So, S. Y. C., Chen, J. H. K., Sridhar, S., To, K. K. W., Chan, J. F. W., Hung, I. F. N., Ho, P. L., & Yuen, K. Y. (2020). The role of community-wide wearing of face mask for control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic due to SARS-CoV-2. Journal of Infection, 81(1), 107–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JINF.2020.04.024
Cui, Y., Liu, F., Jing, X., & Mu, J. (2021). Integrating Sensing and Communications for Ubiquitous IoT: Applications, Trends, and Challenges. IEEE Network, 35(5), 158–167. https://doi.org/10.1109/MNET.010.2100152
Kaakoush, N. O., Castaño-Rodríguez, N., Mitchell, H. M., & Man, S. M. (2015). Global epidemiology of campylobacter infection. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 28(3), 687–720. https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.00006-15/ASSET/4112CE34-31FA-4645-8BA7-A82C4A7EC726/ASSETS/GRAPHIC/ZCM0031525180003.JPEG
Malik, P. K., Sharma, R., Singh, R., Gehlot, A., Satapathy, S. C., Alnumay, W. S., Pelusi, D., Ghosh, U., & Nayak, J. (2021). Industrial Internet of Things and its Applications in Industry 4.0: State of The Art. Computer Communications, 166, 125–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.COMCOM.2020.11.016
Omoyibo, M. O., Al-Hadhrami, T., Olajide, F., Lotfi, A., & Elmisery, A. M. (2020). Sensor network in automated hand hygiene systems using iot for public building. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 1073, 463–476. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33582-3_44
Unnikrishnan, R., Deshmukh, A., Ramesh, S., Babu, S. K., Anitha, P., & Bhavani, R. R. (2019). Design and Perception of a Social Robot to Promote Hand Washing among Children in a Rural Indian School. 2019 28th IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, RO-MAN 2019. https://doi.org/10.1109/RO-MAN46459.2019.8956450
Wong, J. S. W., & Lee, J. K. F. (2019). The Common Missed Handwashing Instances and Areas after 15 Years of Hand-Hygiene Education. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/5928924
Wong, J. S. W., Lee, J. K. F., & Pappalardo, F. (2019). The Common Missed Handwashing Instances and Areas after 15 Years of Hand-Hygiene Education. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/5928924
Zivich, P. N., Gancz, A. S., & Aiello, A. E. (2018). Effect of hand hygiene on infectious diseases in the office workplace: A systematic review. American Journal of Infection Control, 46(4), 448–455. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AJIC.2017.10.006