title: How can information systems provide support to nurses' hand hygiene performance? Using gamification and indoor location to improve hand hygiene awareness and reduce hospital infections.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hospital-acquired infections are still amongst the major problems health systems are facing. Their occurrence can lead to higher morbidity and mortality rates, increased length of hospital stay, and higher costs for both hospital and patients. Performing hand hygiene is a simple and inexpensive prevention measure, but healthcare workers' compliance with it is often far from ideal. To raise awareness regarding hand hygiene compliance, individual behaviour change and performance optimization, we aimed to develop a gamification solution that collects data and provides real-time feedback accurately in a fun and engaging way.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) was used to conduct this work. DSRM is useful to study the link between research and professional practices by designing, implementing and evaluating artifacts that address a specific need. It follows a development cycle (or iteration) composed by six activities. Two work iterations were performed applying gamification components, each using a different indoor location technology. Preliminary experiments, simulations and field studies were performed in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a Portuguese tertiary hospital. Nurses working on this ICU were in a focus group during the research, participating in several sessions across the implementation process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nurses enjoyed the concept and considered that it allows for a unique opportunity to receive feedback regarding their performance. Tests performed on the indoor location technology applied in the first iteration regarding distances estimation presented an unacceptable lack of accuracy. Using a proximity-based technique, it was possible to identify the sequence of positions, but beacons presented an unstable behaviour. In the second work iteration, a different indoor location technology was explored but it did not work properly, so there was no chance of testing the solution as a whole (gamification application included).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combining automated monitoring systems with gamification seems to be an innovative and promising approach, based on the already achieved results. Involving nurses in the project since the beginning allowed to align the solution with their needs. Despite strong evolution through recent years, indoor location technologies are still not ready to be applied in the healthcare field with nursing wards.
authors.affiliation: Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008, Lisboa, Portugal.|Instituto Superior Técnico - Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais 682, 1049-001, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gregório
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental - Hospital S. Francisco Xavier, Estrada do Forte do Alto do Duque, 1449-005, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental - Hospital S. Francisco Xavier, Estrada do Forte do Alto do Duque, 1449-005, Lisboa, Portugal.|NOVA Medical School, CEDOC, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campo Mártires da Pátria 130, 1169-056, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Póvoa
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior Técnico - Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais 682, 1049-001, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Miguel Mira
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008, Lisboa, Portugal. luis.lapao@ihmt.unl.pt.
authors.forename: Luís Velez
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Lapão
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005716:Game Theory; D063373:Hand Hygiene / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000592:standards*; D008491:Medical Informatics Applications; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Automated monitoring system; Behaviour changing; Design science research; Gamification; Hand hygiene compliance; Hospital-acquired infections