A series of interventions more than doubled hand hygiene compliance at a children's hospital, leading to a sustained 95 percent compliance rate for three years, according to a study in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
A 465-bed children's hospital implemented the following interventions from July 2007 to September 2008 to improve hand hygiene compliance:
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• Physician education
• Acquisition of a new gel-based alcohol hand rub to replace a product that left staff dissatisfied
• Installation of more than 900 wall dispensers
• Routine feedback to healthcare workers
• Staff education through articles in hospital newsletters and annual training for clinical staff
• A marketing campaign involving a slogan, posters and other products to spread a unified hand hygiene message
• Inclusion of a goal of 90 percent hand hygiene compliance hospital-wide in an existing employee financial incentive program
• Addition of the 90 percent hand hygiene compliance goal to hospital executives' financial incentive program
The hospital-wide hand hygiene compliance rate increased from 39.9 percent to 97.9 percent from October 2006 to October 2008. The hospital hit its goal of at least 90 percent compliance by March 2008. For three years — from August 2008 through November 2011 — the hospital sustained a compliance rate of 95 percent or higher.
More Articles on Hand Hygiene:
Study: Hand Hygiene, Other Interventions Cut PICU Infections
Study: Paper Towels Better for Hand Hygiene Than Electric Dryers
Making Hand Hygiene Personal: Caregiver-Specific Data to Improve Compliance
