All in Your Head: Psychological Factors Contributing to Failure of Hand Hygiene Interventions

A study surveying English and Welsh intervention ward hand hygiene intervention coordinators has identified psychological factors inhibiting the implementation of hand hygiene compliance interventions.

Researchers on the study, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, determined the factors most likely to derail hand hygiene intervention implementation included:

• Environmental context and resource availability
• Beliefs about capabilities
• Social influences
• Emotional influences

In addition, ward intervention leaders' biggest perceived barriers to successful interventions included lack of time, understaffing issues, perceived negativity from other staff members and stress.


Factors likely to contribute to a successful intervention implementation included:

• Behavioral regulation
• Motivation
• Skills
• Knowledge
• Professional role

Researchers suggested hand hygiene compliance intervention success might be improved through the designation of time for intervention tasks and insuring adequate staff and resources are available to ward coordinators.

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