scholarly journals Pathways to clean hands: highlights of successful hand hygiene implementation strategies in Europe

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
A P Magiorakos ◽  
E Leens ◽  
V Drouvot ◽  
L May-Michelangeli ◽  
C Reichardt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
World Health ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Governmental Support ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Hand hygiene is the most effective way to stop the spread of microorganisms and to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAI). The World Health Organization launched the First Global Patient Safety Challenge - Clean Care is Safer Care - in 2005 with the goal to prevent HAI globally. This year, on 5 May, the WHO’s initiative SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands, which focuses on increasing awareness of and improving compliance with hand hygiene practices, celebrated its second global day. In this article, four Member States of the European Union describe strategies that were implemented as part of their national hand hygiene campaigns and were found to be noteworthy. The strategies were: governmental support, the use of indicators for hand hygiene benchmarking, developing national surveillance systems for auditing alcohol-based hand rub consumption, ensuring seamless coordination of processes between health regions in countries with regionalised healthcare systems, implementing the WHO's My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene, and auditing of hand hygiene compliance.

scholarly journals Hand hygiene compliance among rural healthcare workers of Nepal

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-95
Author(s):  
Ajay Kumar Rajbhandari ◽  
Reshu Agrawal Sagtani ◽  
Kedar Prasad Baral
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Compliance Rate ◽  
Hand Washing ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Introductions: Transmission of healthcare associated infections through contaminated hands of healthcare workers are common. This study was designed to explore the existing compliance of hand hygiene among the healthcare workers workings in different level of health care centers of Makwanpur district of Nepal. Methods: This was a cross sectional observational study conducted in Makwanpur district, Nepal, during 2015. Healthcare workers from nine healthcare centers were selected randomly for the study. Standard observation checklists and World Health Organization guidelines on hand hygiene were used to assess the compliance of hand hygiene during patient care. Results: There were 74 participants. Overall compliance for hand washing was 24.25% (range 19.63 to 45.56). Complete steps of hand washing were performed by 38.3% of health care workers. The factors associated for noncompliance were lack of time (29.3%), example set by seniors (20%), absence or inadequate institution protocol (20%) and unfavourable health care setting (> 20%). Conclusions: Overall hand washing compliance rate amongst the healthcare workers in rural health facilities of Nepal were low (24.25%).

scholarly journals Hand hygiene compliance in Dutch general practice offices: an observational study.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nataliya Hilt ◽  
Mariëtte Lokate ◽  
Alfons OldeLoohuis ◽  
Marlies EJL Hulscher ◽  
Alex W Friedrich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Observational Study ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Outpatient Setting ◽  
World Health ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Abstract Background Hand hygiene (HH) is considered one of the most important measures to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Most studies focus on HH compliance within the hospital setting, whereas little is known for the outpatient setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate compliance with HH recommendations in general practitioners (GPs) office, based on World Health Organization (WHO) guideline.Methods An observational study was conducted at five Dutch GPs-practices in September 2017. We measured HH compliance through direct observation using WHO’s ‘five moments of hand hygiene’ observation tool. All observations were done by one trained professional.Results We monitored a total of 285 HH opportunities for 30 health care workers (HCWs). The overall compliance was 37%. Hand hygiene compliance was 34%, 51% and 16% for general practitioners, practice assistants, and nurses, respectively. It varies between 63% after body fluid exposure and no HH performance before-, during and after home visit of a patient (defined as moment 5). The preferred method of HH was soap and water (63%) versus 37% for alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR).Conclusions HH compliance among HCWs in Dutch GPs was found to be low, especially with regard to home visits. The WHO recommended switch from hand wash to ABHR was not implemented by the majority of HCWs in 5 observed GPs offices.

scholarly journals Hand hygiene compliance in Dutch general practice offices

2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nataliya Hilt ◽  
Mariëtte Lokate ◽  
Alfons OldeLoohuis ◽  
Marlies E. J. L. Hulscher ◽  
Alex W. Friedrich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Outpatient Setting ◽  
World Health ◽  
Hand Wash ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Abstract Background Hand hygiene (HH) is considered one of the most important measures to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Most studies focus on HH compliance within the hospital setting, whereas little is known for the outpatient setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate compliance with HH recommendations in general practitioners (GPs) office, based on World Health Organization (WHO) guideline. Methods An observational study was conducted at five Dutch GPs-practices in September 2017. We measured HH compliance through direct observation using WHO’s ‘five moments of hand hygiene’ observation tool. All observations were done by one trained professional. Results We monitored a total of 285 HH opportunities for 30 health care workers (HCWs). The overall compliance was 37%. Hand hygiene compliance was 34, 51 and 16% for general practitioners, practice assistants, and nurses, respectively. It varies between 63% after body fluid exposure and no HH performance before-, during and after home visit of a patient (defined as moment 5). The preferred method of HH was soap and water (63%) versus 37% for alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR). The median time of disinfecting hands was 8 s (range 6–11 s) for HCWs in our study. Conclusions HH compliance among HCWs in Dutch GPs was found to be low, especially with regard to home visits. The WHO recommended switch from hand wash to ABHR was not implemented by the majority of HCWs in 5 observed GPs offices.

scholarly journals Hand hygiene compliance monitoring in anaesthetics: Feasibility and validity

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 116-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Jeanes ◽  
J Dick ◽  
P Coen ◽  
N Drey ◽  
DJ Gould
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Compliance Rate ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
World Health ◽  
Compliance Monitoring ◽  
Infection Control Practitioner ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Health Organization

Background: Hand hygiene compliance scores in the anaesthetic department of an acute NHS hospital were persistently low. Aims: To determine the feasibility and validity of regular accurate measurement of HHC in anaesthetics and understand the context of care delivery, barriers and opportunities to improve compliance. Methods: The hand hygiene compliance of one anaesthetist was observed and noted by a senior infection control practitioner (ICP). This was compared to the World Health Organization five moments of hand hygiene and the organisation hand hygiene tool. Findings: In one sequence of 55 min, there were approximately 58 hand hygiene opportunities. The hand hygiene compliance rate was 16%. The frequency and speed of actions in certain periods of care delivery made compliance measurement difficult and potentially unreliable. During several activities, taking time to apply alcohol gel or wash hands would have put the patients at significant risk. Discussion: We concluded that hand hygiene compliance monitoring by direct observation was invalid and unreliable in this specialty. It is important that hand hygiene compliance is optimal in anaesthetics particularly before patient contact. Interventions which reduce environmental and patient contamination, such as cleaning the patient and environment, could ensure anaesthetists encounter fewer micro-organisms in this specialty.

scholarly journals Hospital knowledge and practice of doctors and nurses regarding hand hygiene in a survey

2020 ◽  
pp. 119-132
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Healthcare Associated ◽  
The Impact

INTRODUCTION. The guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2009 regarding hand hygiene (HH) in health care provided health care professionals with scientific evidence that argued that HH principles should be respected when dealing with patients. Despite the passage of years and strenuous attempts to introduce these recommendations to the Polish health care facilities for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAI), these principles are still not being implemented in an optimal way for the patient’s safety. OBJECTIVE OF WORK. The aim was to examine the views and attitudes of physicians (L) and nurses (P) towards the WHO rules of hand hygiene. MATERIAL AND METHODS. The study was performed by means of a diagnostic survey using a questionnaire of our own design; random sampling was used. The study involved 231 LP: 173 (74.9%) women, 58 (25.1%) men, including 93 (40.3%) doctors and 138 (59.7%) nurses. The study was conducted in a multiprofile hospital in Małopolska in 2017. The difference between what the respondents think (their views) and what they do in reality (what attitudes they display) was examined in relation to WHO principles, such as wearing natural short nails and jewelry on their hands. RESULTS. Negative practice of observing these HH principles in relation to views was detected (R = -0.014, p<0.05, R2 = 0.016). Respondents supported the view that the ring could affect HAI and rarely used it in practice, the practice was positive (R = 0.298, p <0.001, R2 = 0.085). Women strongly emphasized the view that wearing long nails has an impact on HAI spread, but in practice they often declared keeping long nails, practice was negative (R = -0.241, p <0.01, R2 = 0.054). In response to the question about the impact of nail painting on the spread of HAI, this view was poorly represented, in practice some of them wore painted nails, the practice was negative (R = -0.226, p <0.01, R2 = 0.045). CONCLUSION. Despite high support for the principles of hand hygiene, in practice, these principles were not always respected, the impact on the practice was negative in areas such as: general adherence to the HH principles, wearing long and painted nails. The compatibility of views with practice was detected in relation to wearing a wedding ring.

scholarly journals Identifying the World Health Organization’s fifth moment for hand hygiene: Infection prevention in the operating room

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-34
Author(s):  
Fiona Smith ◽  
Karen Lee ◽  
Eleanor Binnie-McLeod ◽  
Mark Higgins ◽  
Elizabeth Irvine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Operating Room ◽  
Direct Contact ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
World Health ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
The World ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Health Organization

Background: The World Health Organization have designed the fifth of their ‘5 moments’ for hand hygiene to account for microbial transfer from patients to equipment in a narrow area around that patient, known as the patient zone. The study was prompted by emerging local confusion about application of the patient zone in the operating room (OR). Aim/Objectives: In two phases, we aimed to create a ‘5 moments’ style poster displaying an OR patient zone: phase 1, quantify equipment, in direct contact with the patient and, touched by non-scrubbed staff immediately after touching the patient; and phase 2, categorise equipment identified in phase 1 into patient zone and healthcare zone. An objective is to produce a ‘5 moments’ poster for the OR. Methods: The first phase used non-participant direct overt observation. In phase 2, phase 1 data were collaboratively assigned to patient zone or healthcare zone. Photography and graphic design were used to produce the OR ‘5 moments’ poster. Results: In 11 full-length surgeries, 20 pieces of equipment were in direct contact with the patient and 57 pieces of equipment were touched. In phase 2, a ‘5 moments’ poster showing an OR patient zone was designed. Discussion: Content of the patient zone was identified and displayed in a novel resource. Having shared understanding of the patient zone has potential to sustain hand hygiene compliance and equipment cleaning in the OR. Conclusion: Limitations in methods were balanced by collaboration with frontline staff. The study has been used as a teaching tool in the OR and similar settings.

scholarly journals Compliance of Healthcare Workers with Hand Hygiene Practices in Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units: Overt Observation

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayşe Karaaslan ◽  
Eda Kepenekli Kadayifci ◽  
Serkan Atıcı ◽  
Uluhan Sili ◽  
Ahmet Soysal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Pediatric Intensive Care ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
World Health ◽  
Routine Patient Care ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Observation Period

Background.The objective of this study was to assess the compliance of hand hygiene (HH) of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit in a tertiary university hospital in Istanbul.Methods.An observational study was conducted on the compliance of HH for the five World Health Organization (WHO) indications. HCWs were observed during routine patient care in day shift. The authors also measured the technique of HH through hand washing or hand hygiene with alcohol-based disinfectant.Results.A total of 704 HH opportunities were identified during the observation period. Overall compliance was 37.0% (261/704). Compliance differed by role: nurses (41.4%) and doctors (31.9%) [P=0.02, OR: 1.504, CI 95%: 1.058–2.137]. HCWs were more likely to use soap and water (63.6%) compared to waterless-alcohol-based hand hygiene (36.3%) [P<0.05].Conclusion.Adherence to hand hygiene practice and use of alcohol-based disinfectant was found to be very low. Effective education programs that improve adherence to hand hygiene and use of disinfectants may be helpful to increase compliance.

scholarly journals Determinants of success and sustainability of the WHO multimodal hand hygiene promotion campaign, Italy, 2007–2008 and 2014

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (23) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Luisa Moro ◽  
Filomena Morsillo ◽  
Simona Nascetti ◽  
Mita Parenti ◽  
Benedetta Allegranzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
World Health ◽  
Absolute Increase ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
Hygiene Promotion ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Implementation Progress

A national hand hygiene promotion campaign based on the World Health Organization (WHO) multimodal, Clean Care is Safer Care campaign was launched in Italy in 2007. One hundred seventy-five hospitals from 14 of 20 Italian regions participated. Data were collected using methods and tools provided by the WHO campaign, translated into Italian. Hand hygiene compliance, ward infrastructure, and healthcare workers’ knowledge and perception of healthcare-associated infections and hand hygiene were evaluated before and after campaign implementation. Compliance data from the 65 hospitals returning complete data for all implementation tools were analysed using a multilevel approach. Overall, hand hygiene compliance increased in the 65 hospitals from 40% to 63% (absolute increase: 23%, 95% confidence interval: 22–24%). A wide variation in hand hygiene compliance among wards was observed; inter-ward variability significantly decreased after campaign implementation and the level of perception was the only item associated with this. Long-term sustainability in 48 of these 65 hospitals was assessed in 2014 using the WHO Hand Hygiene Self-Assessment Framework tool. Of the 48 hospitals, 44 scored in the advanced/intermediate categories of hand hygiene implementation progress. The median hand hygiene compliance achieved at the end of the 2007–2008 campaign appeared to be sustained in 2014.

scholarly journals Cleaning Staff’s Attitudes about Hand Hygiene in a Metropolitan Hospital in Australia: A Qualitative Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marguerite Sendall ◽  
Laura McCosker ◽  
Kate Halton
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Associated Infections ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Improve Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Cleaning Staff ◽  
Healthcare Associated ◽  
Hospital Cleaning

Background: In 2009, the National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) was implemented in hospitals across Australia with the aim of improving hand hygiene practices and reducing healthcare-associated infections. Audits conducted post-implementation showed the lowest rates of compliance with hand hygiene practices are among operational staff including hospital cleaners. There is limited information about hand hygiene issues in hospital cleaners to inform development of evidence-based interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance in this group. Aim: This qualitative study was undertaken to explore the attitudes of hospital cleaning staff regarding hand hygiene and the National Hand Hygiene Initiative. Methodology: Focus groups were conducted with 12 cleaning staff at a large Australian hospital implementing the National Hand Hygiene Initiative. Findings: Hospital cleaners recognise the importance of hand hygiene in preventing healthcare-associated infections. Cleaners cite peer support, leadership, and the recognition and reward of those excelling in hand hygiene as strong motivators. Barriers to optimal hand hygiene practice include the presence of multiple conflicting guidelines, hand hygiene “overload” and a lack of contextualised education programs. This exploratory qualitative study reveals three themes about attitudes of hospital cleaning staff towards hand hygiene. These themes are: (1) “The culture of hand hygiene: It’s drummed into us”; (2) “Reminders and promotion for hand hygiene: We just need a big ‘Please wash your hands’ sign”; and (3) “The personal value of hand hygiene: Like he said, it’s second nature to us”. Conclusion: Hand-hygiene messages and training need to be more consistent and contextualised to achieve improvements in hand hygiene practices in hospital cleaning staff in Australia.

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