A new digital bracelet may help reduce health risks in hospitals and clinics —by reminding a doctor or nurse to wash his or her hands properly.

 

The bracelet by Israeli startup Hyginex has a red LED to remind the medical practitioner to wash their hands between patients, tech site Mashable reported.

 

Hyginex’s product will also work alongside sensor-embedded soap dispensers to detect if the user has washed their hands properly, Mashable added.

 

Efrat Raichman, who founded Hyginex in 2008 after his uncle contracted an infection in a hospital and died, believes the bracelet will not only save lives, but also save the healthcare system much money.

 

The wireless bracelet system tracks the practitioner’s hygiene ad passes the information to hospital managers.

 

Citing information from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the report said poor hand hygiene led to infections that are responsible for more than 90,000 deaths per year in the U.S.

 

The infections also entailed a cost of more than $30 billion, the report added. — TJD, GMA News