Methods and systems for obtaining more accurate compliance metrics

1. A method of determining a hand hygiene compliance metric comprising:

providing an area entry sensor;

receiving a signal from the area entry sensor that is indicative of an area entry event by a person;

providing an area exit sensor;

receiving a signal from the area exit sensor indicative of an area exit event by a person;

determining a number of dispense events by receipt of signals from one or more dispensers;

determining a number of hand hygiene opportunities for obtaining dispense events that occur between an entry event signal and an exit event signal from one or more sensors;

wherein the number of hand hygiene opportunities for obtaining dispense events occurs between and is a function of the time between an entry event and an exit event; and

wherein the number of hand hygiene opportunities is incremented by a value M, which is greater than 1 if the time between an entry opportunity and an exit opportunity is greater than a selected time period; and

providing a hand hygiene compliance metric that is a function of the number of dispense events and the number of hand hygiene opportunities.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of M is a function of the type of area where the entry event occurs.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of M is a function of the days a room is occupied.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of M is a function of the number of patients in a room or area.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the entry event occurs in an area of a hospital.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the entry event is a critical care ward.

7. A hand hygiene compliance monitoring system comprising: an area entry sensor for providing a signal indicative of an area entry event by a person; an area exit sensor for providing a signal indicative of an area exit event by a person; a dispenser for dispensing cleaner and providing a signal indicative of a dispense event; wherein the dispense event occurs between the area entry event and the area exit event; logic stored on a computer readable medium for determining a hand hygiene compliance metric, wherein the hand hygiene compliance metric is a function of the signal indicative of an area entry event, the signal indicative of an area exit event and the signal indicative of a dispense event; and wherein the hand hygiene compliance metric is a function of the time between the area entry event and the area exit event; and wherein a variable M is used in calculating the compliance metric and M is increased by more than 1 if the time period between an entry event and an exit event is greater than a selected period of time; and providing an output Cigna signal that is indicative of the hand hygiene compliance metric.

8. The monitoring system of claim 7 further comprising a badge, wherein the badge is associated with a caregiver.

9. The monitoring system of claim 7 wherein M is determined as a function of the type of area where the entry event occurred.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the value of M is a function of the days a room is occupied.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the value of M is a function of the number of patients in a room or area.

12. The monitoring system of claim 9 wherein the type of area is an area in a hospital.

13. A method of determining a hand hygiene compliance metric comprising:

providing an area entry sensor;

providing an area exit sensor;

providing a dispenser that provides a signal indicative of a dispense event;

obtaining a time stamped signal indicative of an entry event by a person from the entry sensor;

obtaining a time stamped signal indicative of a dispense event from the dispenser;

obtaining a time stamped signal indicative of an exit event by a person from the exit sensor;

determining a denominator value that is a first value if the time between the entry event and the exit event is greater than a selected time and a second value if the time between the entry event and the exit event is less than the selected time;

determining a numerator that is a function of dispense events;

outputting a hand hygiene compliance metric that is a function of the numerator and the denominator.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the selected time is a function of the area where the entry event occurs.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the selected time is a function of the days a room is occupied.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the selected time is a function of the number of patients in a room or area.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein a dispense event is not included in the denominator if the dispense event occurs after a selected amount of time after an exit event occurred.