Using a multimodal strategy to improve patient hand hygiene - 25/05/21
Highlights |
• | Patients' hands become contaminated with pathogens which may then cause infection. |
• | Patients rarely decontaminate their hands whilst they are in hospital. |
• | Patient handwipe packs and information for staff/patients increased compliance to 69%. |
• | Prompting by staff influences whether patient hand hygiene occurred. |
• | Patient handwipes are a cost-effective method of increasing patient hand hygiene. |
Resumen |
Objective |
The role of health care worker hand hygiene in preventing health care associated infections (HCAI) is well-established. There is less emphasis on the hand hygiene (HH) of hospitalized patients; in the context of COVID-19 mechanisms to support it are particularly important. The purpose of this study was to establish if providing patient hand wipes, and a defined protocol for encouraging their use, was effective in improving the frequency of patient HH (PHH).
Design |
Before and after study.
Settin |
General Hospital, United Kingdom.
Participants |
All adult patients admitted to 6 acute elderly care/rehabilitation hospital wards between July and October 2018.
Methods |
Baseline audit of PHH opportunities conducted over 6 weeks. Focus group with staff and survey of the public informed the development of a PHH bundle. Effect of bundle on PHH monitored by structured observation of HH opportunities over 12 weeks.
Results |
During baseline 303 opportunities for PHH were observed; compliance with PHH was 13.2% (40/303; 95% confidence interval 9.9-7.5). In the evaluation of PHH bundle, 526 PHH opportunities were observed with HH occurring in 58.9% (310/526); an increase of 45.7% versus baseline (95% confidence interval 39.7%-51.0%; P < .001).
Conclusion |
Providing patients with multiwipe packs of handwipes is a simple, cost-effective approach to increasing PHH and reducing the risk of HCAI in hospital. Health care workers play an essential role in encouraging PHH.
El texto completo de este artículo está disponible en PDF.Key Words : Patient's hands, Care bundle, Hand sanitizing wipe, Compliance, Before and after study, Feedback
Esquema
| Conflicts of interest: None to report. |
|
| Funding: This study was partially funded by a grant from GAMA Healthcare Ltd and they provided the hand hygiene wipes. GAMA Healthcare Ltd had no involvement in the study design, implementation, data collection, analysis or reporting. |
Vol 49 - N° 6
P. 740-745 - juin 2021 Regresar al número
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