Hand hygiene training is time consuming to deliver, hard to standardize and it can be difficult to generate staff enthusiasm to attend a class. SureWash uses technology to bring training to the staff no matter where they are in the hospital. Furthermore, SureWash uses gesture recognition to automate the training, allowing staff, patients and visitors to train independently at any time of the day or night.

SureWash is the only technology scientifically validated to train on the WHO hand hygiene protocol. As part of a multi-modal campaign it has been shown to improve the bacterial load on hands and the “5 moments” compliance (Higgins & Hannan, 2013). Most noteworthy, the WHO hand hygiene protocol has been shown to be more than twice as effective at killing germs in comparison to normal unstructured hand hygiene (GCU paper).

SureWash is the only technology scientifically validated to train on the WHO hand hygiene protocol (HUG paper, RCSI paper). As part of a multi-modal campaign it has been shown to improve the bacterial load on hands and the “5 moments” compliance (Mater paper). The WHO hand hygiene protocol has been shown to more than twice as effective at killing germs as normal unstructured hand hygiene (GCU paper).

There are multiple examples of people who currently use SureWash to deliver best in class hand hygiene risk management. This is featured on the About page.

SureWash uses cutting edge technology and innovative learning approaches to deliver scientifically validated learning outcomes in hand hygiene. The incremental difficulty levels and the “Practice-Rest-Repeat” learning approach used in SureWash delivers optimal learning and retention of good hand hygiene skill.

The traditional “glow box” approach uses gel coverage as a proxy for effectiveness but scientific results show it is actually a poor proxy for microbiological effectiveness as friction is needed (GCU paper). Therefore, the glow box learning approach is not suited to training a psychomotor skill.

As a result, SureWash aims to be a best in class hand hygiene training simulator and is guided by the latest scientific literature. We know that hand hygiene is important for removing germs. However, if done poorly, parts of the hands are missed and the pathogens survive.

SureWash uses advanced sensors and  game elements such as real-time feedback, formative and summative scoring, incremental difficulty levels and micro-learning quizzes to harness people’s competitive streaks. As a result, this structure builds a good-natured competitive atmosphere in hand hygiene and infection control. This helps to encourage engagement and interaction in training.

SureWash provides specialized training that explicitly empowers patients and visitors to train in infection prevention alongside staff. Children in particular love to use SureWash. Empowering patients and visitors with knowledge of Infection Prevention allows them to be active participants in their care. Therefore they can play their part in reducing the risk of HAIs in hospitals and reduces the risk of infections when they get home.

To support the integration of the SureWash system we provide one day of on-site consulting to train staff on design and implementation of their Hand Hygiene and infection control risk management program and launch SureWash to the hospital site. For three years post sales SureWash provides remote system support via the Internet. SureWash will provide new learning features each year via annual updates of the software.

SureWash is highly customisable to the individual needs of the IPC team or the administration itself. Firstly the micro-learning quizzes can be written by the IPC team using an online tool at www.surewash.net. The quiz is designed online and then loaded onto the SureWash units via WIFI or using a special USB key. Results from these custom quizzes are included in the standard SureWash reports. SureWash has a number of ways in which administrators can customise the protocol. The system can optionally enforce “bare to the elbow” by detecting sleeves and large watches. The system can also add an additional step of wrist cleaning which is standard practice in the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. Secondly, the graphics displayed on the system “home screen” can be customised to acknowledge sponsors, etc and to drive engagement via leader-boards and goal targets. Thirdly, SureWash can be further customised to deliver the core learning content in multiple languages. In addition to English, language packs are available in French, Spanish and German. New languages can be developed on request.

For three years post sales, SureWash provides remote system support via the Internet and telephone. In addition, SureWash will provide new learning features each year via annual updates of the software.

Staff have a number of ways to log into SureWash. SureWash can use a hospital’s RFID identity cards to allow staff to log in. Otherwise, staff can use the touch screen keyboard to type a username (e.g. their email address or staff ID number).

SureWash provides comprehensive reports on who has trained, their pass rates, the poses proving difficult, the time of day training has occurred etc. Reports can optionally show a photograph of the hands to verify compliance with nail and jewelry guidelines. The reports can be used for internal reporting for Infection Prevention and Control or Quality Control purposes or to provide data to regulatory bodies such as Joint Commission, CQC, etc. These reports are available in Microsoft Excel format allowing them to be incorporated into other documents and the raw data is available for further analysis or research purposes. As a result, SureWash can provide a summary of the activity level of each system via email to a nominated contact in each hospital.

The main way that SureWash can be customised is that the micro-learning quizzes can be written by the IPC team using an online tool at www.surewash.net. The quiz is designed online and then loaded onto the SureWash units using a special USB key. Results from these custom quizzes are included in the standard SureWash reports. SureWash has a number of ways in which administrators can customise the protocol. The system can optionally enforce “bare to the elbow” by detecting sleeves and large watches. The system can also add an additional step of wrist cleaning which is standard practice in the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. Some of the graphics displayed on the system “home screen” can be customised to acknowledge sponsors, etc. SureWash can be further customised to deliver the core learning content in multiple languages. In additional to English, language packs are available in French, Spanish and German. New languages can be developed on request.

View the support page here to access product help guides.

Instructions for cleaning your SureWash devices are as follows:

For health and safety reasons, the SureWash machine should be turned off using the power switch and unplugged before cleaning.

For the SureWash ELITE, apart from the screen, the SureWash machine (cart, tabletop, camera head and extrusion) should be cleaned and disinfected with a hospital grade disinfectant/cleaner. Allow the required contact time to pass before wiping away any excess.

The screen can be cleaned with a moistened microfiber cloth with a mixture of 70% isopropyl alcohol / 30% water. The cloth should be damp, but not dripping wet. Using any material other than a microfiber cloth could cause damage to your product. When cleaning the display screen, carefully wipe in one direction, moving from the top of the display to the bottom.

Surfaces must be completely air-dried before turning the device on after cleaning. No moisture should be visible on the surfaces of the product before it is powered on or plugged in.

For more information regarding Dell’s guidelines, please click here.

For the SureWash GO, (apart from the screen) use standard alcohol wipes to wipe down the system. Clean your screen using a screen cleaning wipe or a soft, dry, lint-free cloth. When necessary, you can dampen the cloth with one of the following: water, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solution 70% or less, or eyeglass cleaner. Never use glass cleaner or other chemical cleaners.

For more information on Microsoft’s cleaning guidelines, please click here.

To connect your GO or ELITE to WIFI, please watch our help guide video here.

The SureWash GO serial number is located on the bottom of the unit. When turning the unit over, make sure the camera head is put down and secured. The SureWash ELITE serial number is located underneath the table-top on the right-hand side. The serial number on the SureWash units can also be found in the Admin function under General settings.