Despite being a pillar of preventing the spread of germs, hand hygiene compliance rates remain dismal in many healthcare settings. That said, research on how to boost compliance and establish best practices has gotten very creative.
Here are nine articles on the most recent hand hygiene-focused studies and stories, starting with the most recent.
1. Is it possible to truly observe compliance to WHO's 5 Moments of Hand Hygiene?
The effectiveness of the World Health Organization's My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene method is well-documented, but a new study published in the American Journal of Infection Control calls into question the feasibility of observing compliance with WHO's M5M.
2. CDC's 3-step hand-washing technique vs. WHO's 6-step technique: Which is most effective?
Batman versus Superman. The World Health Organization's six-step hand hygiene technique versus the CDC's three-step method. Which is superior? While the debate around the superheroes may never be truly settled, new research has declared a winner in the hand hygiene battle.
3. Quality improvement, hand hygiene initiatives needed in outpatient settings, study finds
More attention is needed on quality improvement initiatives for infection prevention, hand hygiene and injection safety in outpatient settings, according to recent findings.
4. Hand hygiene-related screen savers may boost compliance: 5 study findings
Many hospitals post hand hygiene reminders outside patient rooms or above sinks, but a new study suggests hospitals can boost compliance by displaying hand hygiene messages on screen savers as well.
5. Nurses face three times as many hand hygiene opportunities as physicians, study finds
Nurses face three times as many hand hygiene opportunities as physicians (55 hand hygiene opportunities per 24 hours compared to 16 hand hygiene opportunities per 24 hours, respectively) but they have higher compliance rates.
6. Good skin health — the hidden factor in hand hygiene compliance
In a recent blog post, Sealed Air Diversey Care's Global Marketing Lead for Personal Care Lars Wulff-Nilsen explained how skin health can greatly impact whether or not employees perform hand hygiene when and where required.
7. Good hand hygiene key in slowing down antibiotic resistance
Poor hand-washing is among the factors contributing to the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant infections, according to a report in the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance.
8. Patient safety tool: U-M Health System toolkit to educate seniors about hand hygiene
Researchers from the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor developed a toolkit to guide post-acute care facilities on how to train employees to control infections. The toolkit can also be adapted for a patient audience, since many seniors transfer pathogens on their hands.
9. Patients transfer MDROs to post-acute facilities via their hands
The importance of hand hygiene compliance has been drilled into many healthcare workers, but a study suggests seniors being transferred from a hospital to a post-acute care facility may require further education on the infection prevention measure.