AUSTIN, Texas – Identity solutions provider HID has acquired hand hygiene compliance platform Intelligent Observation, designed to “enable healthcare facilities to reduce hospital acquired infections (HAIs) through proper hand hygiene practices,” according to a joint announcement.
The addition of Intelligent Observation “expands HID’s offering and relevance in the Healthcare RTLS space to further meet the growing needs of healthcare facilities,” the announcement says.
“Patients enter the hospital looking to get better, not to catch an infection,” says Björn Lidefelt, executive vice president and head of HID, in the joint announcement. “Welcoming Intelligent Observation into our RTLS portfolio enables healthcare providers to prevent hospital acquired infections and create a safer patient experience.”
Why HID Acquired Intelligent Observation
The Intelligent Observation platform includes hardware that detects when healthcare workers are near a hand sanitation area and records whether the individual sanitizes appropriately. The results are then communicated to Intelligent Observation’s cloud-based dashboard where data is stored and formulated into reports.
The platform utilizes SaaS and near-field magnetic induction (NFMI) technology, which “enables efficient compliance reporting and tracking for hospital administrators,” according to the joint announcement.
The patented platform consists of wearable NFMI devices, which are worn by healthcare staff and offer centimeter-level location accuracy, as well as an interactive SaaS dashboard that provides near real-time, granular compliance data to healthcare administrators. For example, administrators can view data across facilities, at the facility level, and even view room-level compliance, including isolation rooms.
Provided information from the dashboard includes handwashing duration with soap and water, as well as easy to use infection tracing tools. Furthermore, the platform can generate individual hand hygiene scorecards that are delivered directly to the inbox of staff to self-monitor and inform employee training.
“We are committed to providing a robust, best-in-class RTLS experience to help healthcare facilities meet their growing needs,” says Marc Bielmann, senior vice president and head of identification technologies for HID, in the joint announcement. “Adding Intelligent Observation is yet another step in our journey to enabling safe and efficient workplaces using real-time location data.”
Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Miami, Intelligent Observation is now part of HID’s Identification Technologies Business Area. The Intelligent Observation platform will merge into HID’s RTLS Business Unit and “benefit from HID’s sales and other global functions to support its offering,” according to the joint announcement.
“We are dedicated to reducing HAIs through innovative and intuitive technologies,” says Seth Freedman, CEO, Intelligent Observation, in the announcement. “Now, as part of HID, we are excited to continue this mission and help even more healthcare professionals where it matters most.”
