Intelligent Observation

Intelligent Observation provides a specialized monitoring system focused on improving hand hygiene compliance within healthcare facilities to reduce hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Founded in 2019 by Seth Freedman and based in Miami, Florida, the company addresses the critical need for better infection control, a problem Freedman was inspired to solve after recognizing the widespread and preventable suffering caused by HAIs. His background in healthcare, sales, and business development, including roles at Johnson Controls and Tyco, equipped him with the insights to tackle this systemic issue. The idea for the company's core technology was sparked by the proximity-based key fob of a car, leading to the application of near-field magnetic induction (NFMI) to solve the shortcomings of existing monitoring systems.

The company operates on a business-to-business (B2B) subscription model, providing its solution as a service (SaaS) to hospitals and other healthcare facilities. This model eliminates the need for large upfront capital expenditures by clients, as the subscription fee covers hardware, installation, software access, and ongoing maintenance. Intelligent Observation's system is designed to be more affordable and accurate than traditional methods like direct visual observation or competing technologies like RFID. A significant milestone was its acquisition by HID in August 2025, integrating it into HID's Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) portfolio and expanding its market reach.

The product consists of wearable smart badges for healthcare staff, battery-operated sensors placed near sanitation dispensers, and a cloud-based dashboard. It utilizes patented NFMI technology, which is FDA-approved for medical devices, to accurately detect and record every hand hygiene opportunity and compliance event with centimeter-level precision. The system is dispenser-agnostic and does not require integration with a hospital's Wi-Fi network or electronic health records, ensuring a simple setup process. The platform provides administrators with near real-time, granular data, from a facility-wide overview down to individual and room-level compliance. It also offers tools for infection tracing and generates personalized scorecards for staff to encourage self-monitoring and behavioral change.

Keywords: hand hygiene compliance, infection control, healthcare-acquired infections, patient safety, real-time location systems, NFMI technology, hospital operations, medical device, healthcare analytics, SaaS, Seth Freedman, HID, MedTech, automated monitoring, staff optimization, clinical workflow, patient monitoring, healthcare technology, compliance tracking, data-driven healthcare