Touchless computer interfaces in hospitals: A review <s> Background <s> A simple mathematical model is developed for the spread of hand-borne nosocomial pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus within a general medical-surgical ward. In contrast to previous models a stochastic approach is used. Computer simulations are used to explore the properties of the model, and the results are presented in terms of the pathogen's successful introduction rate, ward-level prevalence, and colonized patient-days, emphasizing the general effects of changes in management of patients and carers. Small changes in the transmissibility of the organism resulted in large changes in all three measures. Even small increases in the frequency of effective handwashes were enough to bring endemic organisms under control. Reducing the number of colonized patients admitted to the ward was also an effective control measure across a wide range of different situations. Increasing surveillance activities had little effect on the successful introduction rate but gave an almost linear reduction in colonized patient-days and ward-level prevalence. Shorter lengths of patient stay were accompanied by higher successful introduction rates, but had little effect on the other measures unless the mean time before detection of a colonized individual was large compared to the mean length of stay. We conclude that chance effects are likely to be amongst the most important factors in determining the course of an outbreak. Mathematical models can provide valuable insights into the non-linear interactions between a small number of processes, but for the very small populations found in hospital wards, a stochastic approach is essential. <s> BIB001 </s> Touchless computer interfaces in hospitals: A review <s> Background <s> We tested 100 keyboards in 29 clinical areas for bacterial contamination. Ninety five were positive for microorganisms. Streptococcus, Clostridium perfringens, Enterococcus (including one vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus), Staphylococcus aureus, fungi, and gram-negative organisms were isolated. Computer equipment must be kept clean so it does not become another vehicle for transmission of pathogens to patients. <s> BIB002 </s> Touchless computer interfaces in hospitals: A review <s> Background <s> In this paper, an open-source system for a controller-free, highly interactive exploration of medical images is presented. By using a Microsoft Xbox Kinect™ as the only input device, the system's user interface allows users to interact at a distance through hand and arm gestures. The paper also details the interaction techniques we have designed specifically for the deviceless exploration of medical imaging data. Since the user interface is touch-free and does not require complex calibration steps, it is suitable for use in operating rooms, where non-sterilizable devices cannot be used. <s> BIB003
Healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) are a major problem. In the United States, HCAIs cause 99,000 attributable deaths and cost US$6,500,000,000 every year.  In Europe, they result in BIB003 ,000,000 extra days spent in hospital, 37,000 attributable deaths and €7,000,000,000 in cost every year.  Modern technology can contribute to patient care by allowing healthcare staff rich and immediate access to patient information and imaging. However, computers and their peripherals are difficult to sterilise effectively, and keyboards are natural breeding grounds for various pathogens. BIB002 In order to reduce the spread of HCAIs, hospitals must implement multimodal strategies, including such measures as provision of anti-bacterial gels, ongoing hand hygiene training and education, and proper equipment sterilisation and cleaning. However, when a healthcare worker (HCW) washes their hands, it is unlikely that 100 per cent of pathogens are eliminated. BIB001 As such, a simple and effective solution for preventing contamination of surfaces by people's hands, and of people's hands by surfaces, is to remove the need to touch those surfaces at all during use. Given the widespread use of technology in hospitals, interacting with computer-based systems using touchless interaction may be helpful for reducing opportunities for contamination. Touchless control of computers has become more common in recent years. The most important factor facilitating this progress has been the introduction of more reliable and affordable consumer grade hardware, particularly time-of-flight (ToF) cameras such as the Microsoft Kinect. It is thus appropriate at this point to examine the literature to assess the current state of the art and to identify where further efforts should be directed.