2010 Award Winner

Follow the Yellow Dot and Armband

Category - People's Choice 

The Problem

Canadians may be unaware of how serious a problem hospitals face when it comes to infections acquired by patients during hospitalization. There are estimates that more than 200,000 of these infections occur in Canada every year, and that thousands of deaths occur as a result. At the very least, patients acquiring infections in hospital face discomfort, longer stays, and additional diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. In 2008, the number of infections at Windsor Regional Hospital was growing at an alarming rate.

The Innovation

Good communication is one of the most effective tools in fighting infection, and the program devised by the hospital was a simple means of improving that communication dramatically. Under the new system, when a patient is seen in the ER and it is determined that he or she is at risk for infection, a yellow admission armband is placed on the patient's arm, and a yellow dot is placed on the spine of the patient's chart. The dot is accompanied by a letter that indicates if the precautions taken should be for contact, droplet or airborne infection.

The Results

The results have been significant. Because the only information displayed is a warning that the patient is at risk, patient privacy is protected. Staff at the hospital report being very impressed by the simplicity and effectiveness of the system, as well as reassured by a reduced risk that they themselves will acquire infections. The overall rate of hospital acquired infection at Windsor Regional Hospital has dropped from a pre innovation level of 2.0/1000 patient days per month to post implementation of the Yellow Dot innovation of to 0.5/1000 patient days per month.

Next Steps

The hospital has begun experimenting with using the yellow dots in other areas to warn of infection risks. One such area is equipment, where a yellow dot indicates that it needs to be cleaned before use.