Measuring Healthcare Worker Hand Hygiene Activity: Current Practices and Emerging Technologies

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1016-1028 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Boyce
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Electronic Monitoring ◽  
Monitoring Systems ◽  
Improve Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hand Hygiene Improvement ◽  
Gold Standard Method ◽  
Improvement Programs ◽  
Hygiene Compliance

Monitoring hand hygiene compliance and providing healthcare workers with feedback regarding their performance are considered integral parts of multidisciplinary hand hygiene improvement programs. Observational surveys conducted by trained personnel are currently considered the “gold standard” method for establishing compliance rates, but they are time-consuming and have a number of shortcomings. Monitoring hand hygiene product consumption is less time-consuming and can provide useful information regarding the frequency of hand hygiene that can be used to give caregivers feedback. Electronic counting devices placed in hand hygiene product dispensers provide detailed information about hand hygiene frequency over time, by unit and during interventions. Electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems that utilize wireless systems to monitor room entry and exit of healthcare workers and their use of hand hygiene product dispensers can provide individual and unit-based data on compliance with the most common hand hygiene indications. Some systems include badges (tags) that can provide healthcare workers with real-time reminders to clean their hands upon entering and exiting patient rooms. Preliminary studies suggest that use of electronic monitoring systems is associated with increased hand hygiene compliance rates and that such systems may be acceptable to care givers. Although there are many questions remaining about the practicality, accuracy, cost, and long-term impact of electronic monitoring systems on compliance rates, they appear to have considerable promise for improving our efforts to monitor and improve hand hygiene practices among healthcare workers.

scholarly journals Access to Alcohol-Based Hand Rub Is Associated With Improved Hand Hygiene in an Ebola-Threatened District of Western Uganda

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s457-s457
Author(s):  
Mohammed Lamorde ◽  
Matthew Lozier ◽  
Maureen Kesande ◽  
Patricia Akers ◽  
Olive Tumuhairwe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Patient Contact ◽  
Improve Hand Hygiene ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Handwashing With Soap

Background: Ebola virus disease (EVD) is highly transmissible and has a high mortality rate. During outbreaks, EVD can spread across international borders. Inadequate hand hygiene places healthcare workers (HCWs) at increased risk for healthcare-associated infections, including EVD. In high-income countries, alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) can improve hand hygiene compliance among HCWs in healthcare facilities (HCF). We evaluated local production and district-wide distribution of a WHO-recommended ABHR formulation and associations between ABHR availability in HCF and HCW hand hygiene compliance. Methods: The evaluation included 30 HCF in Kabarole District, located in Western Uganda near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where an EVD outbreak has been ongoing since August 2018. We recorded baseline hand hygiene practices before and after patient contact among 46 healthcare workers across 20 HCFs in August 2018. Subsequently, in late 2018, WHO/UNICEF distributed commercially produced ABHR to all 30 HCFs in Kabarole as part of Ebola preparedness efforts. In February 2019, our crossover evaluation distributed 20 L locally produced ABHR to each of 15 HCFs. From June 24–July 5, 2019, we performed follow-up observations of hand hygiene practices among 68 HCWs across all 30 HCFs. We defined hand hygiene as handwashing with soap or using ABHR. We conducted focus groups with healthcare workers at baseline and follow-up. Results: We observed hand hygiene compliance before and after 203 and 308 patient contacts at baseline and follow-up, respectively. From baseline to follow-up, hand hygiene compliance before patient contact increased for ABHR use (0% to 17%) and handwashing with soap (0% to 5%), for a total increase from 0% to 22% (P < .0001). Similarly, hand hygiene after patient contact increased from baseline to follow-up for ABHR use (from 3% to 55%), and handwashing with soap decreased (from 12% to 7%), yielding a net increase in hand hygiene compliance after patient contact from 15% to 62% (P < .0001). Focus groups found that HCWs prefer ABHR to handwashing because it is faster and more convenient. Conclusions: In an HCF in Kabarole District, the introduction of ABHR appeared to improve hand hygiene compliance. However, the confirmation of 3 EVD cases in Uganda 120 km from Kabarole District 2 weeks before our follow-up hand hygiene observations may have influenced healthcare worker behavior and hand hygiene compliance. Local production and district-wide distribution of ABHR is feasible and may contribute to improved hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers.Funding: NoneDisclosures: Mohammed Lamorde, Contracted Research - Janssen Pharmaceutica, ViiV, Mylan

Hand Hygiene Compliance at Critical Points of Care

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nai-Chung Nelson Chang ◽  
Heather Schacht Reisinger ◽  
Marin L Schweizer ◽  
ichael Jones ◽  
Elizabeth Chrischilles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Task Type ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Improve Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Better Than

Abstract Background Most articles on hand hygiene report either overall compliance or compliance with specific hand hygiene moments. These moments vary in the level of risk to patients if healthcare workers (HCWs) are noncompliant. We assessed how task type affected HCWs’ hand hygiene compliance. Methods We linked consecutive tasks individual HCWs performed during the Strategies to Reduce Transmission of Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria in Intensive Care Units (STAR*ICU) study into care sequences and identified task pairs—2 consecutive tasks and the intervening hand hygiene opportunity. We defined tasks as critical and/or contaminating. We determined the odds of critical and contaminating tasks occurring, and the odds of hand hygiene compliance using logistic regression for transition with a random effect adjusting for isolation precautions, glove use, HCW type, and compliance at prior opportunities. Results Healthcare workers were less likely to do hand hygiene before critical tasks than before other tasks (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.97 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .95–.98]) and more likely to do hand hygiene after contaminating tasks than after other tasks (aOR, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.10–1.13]). Nurses were more likely to perform both critical and contaminating tasks, but nurses’ hand hygiene compliance was better than physicians’ (aOR, 0.94 [95% CI, .91–.97]) and other HCWs’ compliance (aOR, 0.87 [95% CI, .87–.94]). Conclusions Healthcare workers were more likely to do hand hygiene after contaminating tasks than before critical tasks, suggesting that habits and a feeling of disgust may influence hand hygiene compliance. This information could be incorporated into interventions to improve hand hygiene practices, particularly before critical tasks and after contaminating tasks.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of Interventions in Improving Hand Hygiene Compliance: A Meta-Analysis and Logic Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Mohammad Hossein Kaveh ◽  
Mohadeseh Motamed-Jahromi ◽  
Soheil Hassanipour
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Logic Model ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Improve Hand Hygiene ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Hygiene Compliance

Background. Despite the availability of various guidelines, rules, and strategies, hand hygiene adherence rates among healthcare workers are reported significantly lower than expected. The aim of this meta-analysis is to determine the most effective interventions to improve hand hygiene and to develop a logic model based on the characteristics of the most effective interventions. Methods. A literature search was conducted on PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Knowledge, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ScienceDirect databases up to December 21, 2019, with no time limit. Randomized clinical trials which had designed interventions to improve hand hygiene were reviewed. Data were extracted independently by two authors. All statistical analyses were performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software (version 2.0). A random-effects model was used to estimate odds ratios. Results. Although 14 studies were initially reviewed, only 12 studies entered the meta-analysis, since they had identified percentage rates of hand hygiene compliance. The most effective intervention (odds ratio 18.4, 95% CI (13.6–24.8)) was a multilevel strategy that influenced the determinants of hand hygiene behavior at individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels. Following this, a theory-driven logic model was mapped out to promote hand hygiene, based on situational analysis. Conclusion. This study suggests that designing integrated interventions based on a multilevel socioecological approach has the greatest potential to improve hand hygiene compliance in healthcare workers. The logical model proposed in this study can thus provide a useful guide for designing and conducting future experimental research.

scholarly journals Electronic Monitoring Systems for Hand Hygiene: Systematic Review of Technology (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaofan Wang ◽  
Weiwei Jiang ◽  
Kangning Yang ◽  
Difeng Yu ◽  
Joshua Newn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Digital Library ◽  
System Performance ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Electronic Monitoring ◽  
World Health ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Monitoring Systems ◽  
Hygiene Compliance

BACKGROUND Hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways of preventing health care–associated infections and reducing their transmission. Owing to recent advances in sensing technologies, electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems have been integrated into the daily routines of health care workers to measure their hand hygiene compliance and quality. OBJECTIVE This review aims to summarize the latest technologies adopted in electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems and discuss the capabilities and limitations of these systems. METHODS A systematic search of PubMed, ACM Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore Digital Library was performed following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Studies were initially screened and assessed independently by the 2 authors, and disagreements between them were further summarized and resolved by discussion with the senior author. RESULTS In total, 1035 publications were retrieved by the search queries; of the 1035 papers, 89 (8.60%) fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were retained for review. In summary, 73 studies used electronic monitoring systems to monitor hand hygiene compliance, including application-assisted direct observation (5/73, 7%), camera-assisted observation (10/73, 14%), sensor-assisted observation (29/73, 40%), and real-time locating system (32/73, 44%). A total of 21 studies evaluated hand hygiene quality, consisting of compliance with the World Health Organization 6-step hand hygiene techniques (14/21, 67%) and surface coverage or illumination reduction of fluorescent substances (7/21, 33%). CONCLUSIONS Electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems face issues of accuracy, data integration, privacy and confidentiality, usability, associated costs, and infrastructure improvements. Moreover, this review found that standardized measurement tools to evaluate system performance are lacking; thus, future research is needed to establish standardized metrics to measure system performance differences among electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems. Furthermore, with sensing technologies and algorithms continually advancing, more research is needed on their implementation to improve system performance and address other hand hygiene–related issues.

scholarly journals Impact of WHO Hand Hygiene Improvement Program Implementation: A Quasi-Experimental Trial

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farinaz Farhoudi ◽  
Anahita Sanaei Dashti ◽  
Minoo Hoshangi Davani ◽  
Nadiyeh Ghalebi ◽  
Golnar Sajadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Teaching Hospital ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Improvement Strategy ◽  
Hand Hygiene Improvement ◽  
Tertiary Teaching ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Tertiary Teaching Hospital ◽  
Hygiene Compliance

Objectives. As affirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), hand hygiene is the most powerful preventive measure against healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and, thus, it has become one of the five key elements of patient safety program. The aim is to assess the effect of implementation of the WHO’s Multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy among healthcare workers of a tertiary teaching hospital in a developing country.Methods. Hand hygiene compliance was assessed among healthcare workers, according to five defined moments for hand hygiene of the WHO, before and after implementation of the WHO’s Multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy in fourteen wards of a tertiary teaching hospital in Shiraz, Iran. We used direct observation method and documented the results in WHO hand hygiene observation forms.Results. There was a significant change in compliance before and after implementation of WHO’s Multimodal HH Improvement Strategy (29.8% and 70.98%, resp.).Conclusions. Implementing WHO hand hygiene program can significantly improve hand hygiene compliance among nurses.

Cluster Randomized Trial to Evaluate the Effect of a Multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy in Primary Care

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 681-688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Martín-Madrazo ◽  
Sonia Soto-Díaz ◽  
Asuncion Cañada-Dorado ◽  
Miguel Angel Salinero-Fort ◽  
Manuela Medina-Fernández ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Cluster Randomized Trial ◽  
Improvement Strategy ◽  
Hand Hygiene Improvement ◽  
Compliance Level ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Cluster Randomized

Objective.To evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal intervention in primary care health professionals for improved compliance with hand hygiene practice, based on the World Health Organization's 5 Moments for Health Hygiene.Design.Cluster randomized trial, parallel 2-group study (intervention and control).Setting.Primary healthcare centers in Madrid, Spain.Participants.Eleven healthcare centers with 198 healthcare workers (general practitioners, nurses, pediatricians, auxiliary nurses, midwives, odontostomatologists, and dental hygienists).Methods.The multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategy consisted of training of healthcare workers by teaching sessions, implementation of hydroalcoholic solutions, and installation of reminder posters. The hand hygiene compliance level was evaluated by observation during regular care activities in the office visit setting, at the baseline moment, and 6 months after the intervention, all by a single external observer.Results.The overall baseline compliance level was 8.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.2-10.1), and the healthcare workers of the intervention group increased their hand hygiene compliance level by 21.6% (95% CI, 13.83-28.48) compared with the control group.Conclusions.This study has demonstrated that hand hygiene compliance in primary healthcare workers can be improved with a multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategy.

scholarly journals IMPLEMENTATION OF WHO HAND HYGIENE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY IN TRNAVA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, SLOVAKIA

10.23856/3710 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 99-106
Author(s):  
Janka Prnová ◽  
Jaroslava Brňová ◽  
Viera Rusnáková
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
World Health ◽  
Improvement Strategy ◽  
Improve Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hand Hygiene Improvement ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
The Impact

Hand hygiene is considered to be the most simple, effective and economic measure to prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance. Based on the study, application of the World Health Organization’s Multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy can improve hand hygiene compliance in hospital settings and reduce these infections. Trnava University Hospital was included to World Health Organization (WHO) launched a worldwide campaign focused on hand hygiene in 2013, when infection control specialist has started working on daily basis. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of implementing the Multimodal Hand Hygiene Strategy according to WHO. We assessed alcohol-based hand rub consumption during the period 2013 and 2018 and hand hygiene compliance in 2018 as a baseline. During observed period alcohol-based hand rub consumptions significantly increased from 15.7 L/1000 patient days to 24.3 L/1000 patient days (p<0.05). Overall compliance as per WHO guidelines were 38.9%.

scholarly journals Compliance with Hand Hygiene Among Healthcare Workers in Preventing Healthcare Associated Infections

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-69
Author(s):  
Ema Buković ◽  
Damir Važanić ◽  
Adriano Friganović ◽  
Vesna Svirčević ◽  
Cecilija Rotim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
World Health ◽  
Healthcare Associated Infections ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Hand Hygiene Improvement ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Introduction: Healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) represent a major public health issue. In Europe, 37 000 patients are affected annually by some sort of HCAI. HCAIs are preventable, and hand hygiene is an important measure in their prevention. During daily clinical practice, hands of healthcare workers (HCWs) are exposed to surfaces, various substances and objects; therefore, proper hand hygiene is the first step in preventing microorganism transmission. Aim: To determine the HCWs hand hygiene compliance with the guidelines of the World Health Organization through a systematic review of literature. Methods: A systematic review of literature based on the PRISMA statement guidelines using the PubMed database in a search for articles that evaluate the hand hygiene compliance among HCWs. Results: Six articles were taken into consideration by the availability of full-text articles and years of publication between 2010 and 2020. Results showed that compliance rate was the highest in studies that implemented World Health Organisation’s Multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy or its modifications. Conclusion: The multimodal approach, as World Health Organisation’s multimodal strategy or its local modifications, has been shown as the best approach addressing the problem of hand hygiene compliance. Further areas for research include finding a better method of measuring compliance, technology-driven solutions for both delivery of alcohol-based handrub and monitoring of its use, a greater focus on evaluating proper hand hygiene techniques, and insuring longer-term programs of training and education to achieve the best effectiveness of hand hygiene compliance among HCWs.

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