Keep the three inseparable

The system uses an infrared sensor
to anonymously record all uses
of soap and sanitizer dispensers
as well as entries into and exits out of patient rooms.

Staff were washing and sanitizing more often,
but they were also batching more tasks
to do them all at once —
less time going in and out of patient rooms
less time beside the patient.

The compliance surge appeared to have been driven
by fear.

After the spring peaks,
compliance declined across all units
to a daily nadir floor —

Staff soon went from being compliant
to being complacent,
and rates returned to a prepandemic baseline.

The sensor recorded everything. It could not record what the hands forgot they were for.