scholarly journals Building on the Foundation of a Sustainable Hand Hygiene Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (S1) ◽  
pp. s63-s64
Author(s):  
Lisa Stancill ◽  
Emily Sickbert-Bennett Vavalle ◽  
Lauren DiBiase
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Compliance Rate ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Healthcare Staff ◽  
Appropriate Use ◽  
Additional Strain ◽  
Healthcare Crisis ◽  
Hygiene Compliance

Background: Hand hygiene is essential to preventing the spread of disease in hospitals. Renewed emphasis has been placed on hand hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated whether UNC Medical Center’s well-established Clean-In Clean-Out (CICO) program for hand hygiene observations was sustainable throughout a public health and healthcare crisis and whether the COVID-19 pandemic had an effect on hand hygiene compliance. Methods: UNC Medical Center utilizes a crowd-sourced hand-hygiene audit application, CICO, to track hand-hygiene observations, compliance, and feedback. This application encourages participation from all staff and promotes providing real-time feedback in the form of a compliment or reminder when performing hand hygiene observations. During this evaluation, hand hygiene data were queried from the CICO application on the number of observations performed, hand hygiene compliance percentage, and feedback compliance percentage from July 2019 to December 2020. Hand hygiene data were compared to patient volumes in different care settings and the number of hospitalized patients being treated for COVID-19. Results: Initial increases in hand hygiene observations, compliance, and feedback were detected in the months leading up to UNC Medical Center receiving its first SARS-CoV-2–positive patient. Observations were highest when patient volumes were low due to closed clinics and restrictions on elective surgeries (Figure 1). When patient volumes returned to pre–COVID-19 levels coupled with treating more COVID-19 patients, the number of observations and compliance rate metrics declined. Feedback compliance percentage remained relatively stable through the entire period (Figure 2). Conclusions: Despite the additional strain on healthcare staff during COVID-19, the CICO model was a sustainable method to track hand hygiene observations and compliance. Notably, however, engagement was highest when patient census was lower, demonstrating that operating at a high capacity is not beneficial for patient safety. Due to the success and sustainment of the CICO program, UNC Medical Center used this model to create a Mask-On Mask-Up campaign to engage staff to submit observations, track compliance, and encourage feedback to promote the appropriate use of masks during COVID-19.Funding: NoDisclosures: None

scholarly journals Monitoring Hand hygiene Compliance among Healthcare Workers at a Tertiary Care Center: Use of Secret Observers Is the Way Forward

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S409-S409
Author(s):  
Amar Krishna ◽  
Bhagyashri Navalkele ◽  
Amina Pervaiz ◽  
Aditya Kotecha ◽  
Shahram Maroof ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Performance Feedback ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Compliance Rate ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Hygiene Compliance

Abstract Background Hand-hygiene (HH) is known to be the most effective way to reduce healthcare acquired conditions (HACs). Despite being a simple answer to the complex HAC issue, compliance with HH practice has been abysmal with reported compliance rate of 40% among healthcare workers (HCWs). In 2015, compliance rate with HH at Detroit Medical Center (DMC) was reported to be 100% when direct observers were used to monitor compliance. In order to confirm the previously reported compliance rates, this study used secret observers to audit HH compliance and provide performance feedback to HCWs. Methods A prospective observational study was conducted at DMC from June 2016 to December 2016. Hand hygiene committee was established comprising of Infection Prevention and Hospital leadership members. Trained medical residents were appointed as “secret observers” to provide accurate HH reporting. HH auditing was performed using the smartphone app “Speedy audits” to survey and capture the 5 moments of hand hygiene among HCWs. Compliance reports based on different professions, hospital sites, unit locations and auditors were generated using online web portal and analyzed to determine HH compliance rate. Results During the 7-month study period when secret observers were used, a total of 1229 HCWs were observed. Overall, the HH opportunity compliance rate was 31% (916 complied opportunities /2939 opportunities). Hand hygiene compliance rates drastically fell when secret observers were used (31% compared with 100% in 2015 using direct observers). Based on two major before and after patient contact indications, 1022 compliances were observed from 3343 opportunities (30.5% compliance rate). The other compliance rates were 44% before aseptic procedure, 35% after body fluid exposure and 20% after patient environment contact [Figure 1]. Based on profession, compliance rates were lowest among nurses (613/2058; 30%) and medical students (36/169; 21%) when compared with physicians (445/957; 46%). Conclusion Hand-hygiene monitoring by secret observers with use of smartphone app is a feasible and accurate way for tracking HH compliance. The advantage of generating profession-based and unit-based reports for feedback will help to promote HH awareness and improve adherence rates. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

scholarly journals Hand Hygiene Compliance Study at a Large Central Hospital in Vietnam

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cam Le ◽  
Erik Lehman ◽  
Thanh Nguyen ◽  
Timothy Craig
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Compliance Rate ◽  
World Health ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Cultural Attitudes ◽  
Knowledge And Attitude ◽  
Hygiene Compliance

Lack of proper hand hygiene among healthcare workers has been identified as a core facilitator of hospital-acquired infections. Although the concept of hand hygiene quality assurance was introduced to Vietnam relatively recently, it has now become a national focus in an effort to improve the quality of care. Nonetheless, barriers such as resources, lack of education, and cultural norms may be limiting factors for this concept to be properly practiced. Our study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of healthcare workers toward hand hygiene and to identify barriers to compliance, as per the World Health Organization’s guidelines, through surveys at a large medical center in Vietnam. In addition, we aimed to evaluate the compliance rate across different hospital departments and the roles of healthcare workers through direct observation. Results showed that, in general, healthcare workers had good knowledge of hand hygiene guidelines, but not all believed in receiving reminders from patients. The barriers to compliance were identified as: limited resources, patient overcrowding, shortage of staff, allergic reactions to hand sanitizers, and lack of awareness. The overall compliance was 31%; physicians had the lowest rate of compliance at 15%, while nurses had the highest rate at 39%; internal medicine had the lowest rate at 16%, while the intensive care unit had the highest rate at 40%. In summary, it appears that addressing cultural attitudes in addition to enforcing repetitive quality assurance and assessment programs are needed to ensure adherence to safe hand washing.

scholarly journals A Decade in Trying to Increase Hand Hygiene—Finally Success

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s93-s94
Author(s):  
Linda Huddleston ◽  
Sheila Bennett ◽  
Christopher Hermann
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Compliance Rate ◽  
Bloodstream Infections ◽  
Central Line ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
The Voice

Background: Over the past 10 years, a rural health system has tried 10 different interventions to reduce hospital-associated infections (HAIs), and only 1 intervention has led to a reduction in HAIs. Reducing HAIs is a goal of nearly all hospitals, and improper hand hygiene is widely accepted as the main cause of HAIs. Even so, improving hand hygiene compliance is a challenge. Methods: Our facility implemented a two-phase longitudinal study to utilize an electronic hand hygiene reminder system to reduce HAIs. In the first phase, we implemented an intervention in 2 high-risk clinical units. The second phase of the study consisted of expanding the system to 3 additional clinical areas that had a lower incidence of HAIs. The hand hygiene baseline was established at 45% for these units prior to the voice reminder being turned on. Results: The system gathered baseline data prior to being turned on, and our average hand hygiene compliance rate was 49%. Once the voice reminder was turned on, hand hygiene improved nearly 35% within 6 months. During the first phase, there was a statistically significant 62% reduction in the average number of HAIs (catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), central-line–acquired bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), and Clostridiodes difficile experienced in the preliminary units, comparing 12 months prior to 12 months after turning on the voice reminder. In the second phase, hand hygiene compliance increased to >65% in the following 6 months. During the second phase, all HAIs fell by a statistically significant 60%. This was determined by comparing the HAI rates 6 months prior to the voice reminder being turned on to 6 months after the voice reminder was turned on. Conclusions: The HAI data from both phases were aggregated, and there was a statistically significant reduction in MDROs by 90%, CAUTIs by 60%, and C. difficile by 64%. This resulted in annual savings >$1 million in direct costs of nonreimbursed HAIs.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

scholarly journals Intranasal Antiseptic and Universal Antiseptic Baths Are Effective in Reducing MRSA Acquisition in Extended-Care Facilities

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s304-s305
Author(s):  
Angela Chow ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Joshua Wong ◽  
Brenda Ang
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Compliance Rate ◽  
Care Facility ◽  
Clinical Problem ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Extended Care ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Hygiene Compliance

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a growing clinical problem in rehabilitation hospitals, where patients stay for extended periods for intensive rehabilitation therapy. In addition to cutaneous sites, the nares could be a source for nosocomial MRSA transmission. Decolonization of nasal and cutaneous reservoirs could reduce MRSA acquisition. We evaluated the effectiveness of topical intranasal octenidine gel, coupled with universal chlorhexidine baths, in reducing MRSA acquisition in an extended-care facility. Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental before-and-after study from January 2013 to June 2019. All patients admitted to a 100-bed rehabilitation hospital specialized in stroke and trauma care in Singapore were screened for MRSA colonization on admission. Patients screened negative for MRSA were subsequently screened at discharge for MRSA acquisition. Screening swabs were obtained from the nares, axillae, and groin and were cultured on selective chromogenic agar. Patients who tested positive for MRSA from clinical samples collected >3 days after admission were also considered to have hospital-acquired MRSA. Universal chlorhexidine baths were implemented throughout the study period. Intranasal application of octenidine gel for MRSA colonizers for use for 5 days from admission was added to the hospital’s protocol beginning in September 2017. An interrupted time series with segmented regression analysis was performed to evaluate the trends in MRSA acquisition before the intervention (January 2013–July 2017) and after the intervention (September 2017–June 2019) with intranasal octenidine. August 2017 was excluded from the analysis because the intervention commenced midmonth. Results: In total, 77 observational months (55 before the intervention and 22 after the intervention) were included. The mean monthly MRSA acquisition rates were 7.0 per 1,000 patient days before the intervention and 4.4 per 1,000 patient days after the intervention (P < .001), with a mean number of patient days of 2,516.3 per month before the intervention and 2,427.2 per month after the intervention (P = .0172). The mean monthly number of MRSA-colonized patients on admission to the hospital decreased from 24.8 before the intervention to 18.7 after the intervention (P < .001). Mean monthly hand hygiene compliance rate increased significantly from 65.7% before the intervention to 87.4% after the intervention (P < .001). After adjusting for the number of MRSA-colonized patients on admission and hand hygiene compliance rates, a constant trend was observed from January 2013 to July 2017 (adjusted mean coefficient, 0.012; 95% CI, −0.037 to 0.06), with an immediate drop in September 2017 (adjusted mean coefficient, −2.145; 95% CI, −0.248 to −0.002; P = .033), followed by a significant reduction in MRSA acquisition after the intervention from September 2017 through June 2019 (adjusted mean coefficient, −0.125; 95% CI, -4.109 to -0.181; P = .047). Conclusions: Topical intranasal octenidine, coupled with universal chlorhexidine baths, can reduce MRSA acquisition in extended-care facilities. Further studies should be conducted to validate the findings in other healthcare settings.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

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 1189. Effectiveness of Multimodal Intervention Strategies to Improve Hand Hygiene Compliance at an Academic Medical Center

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S426-S427
Author(s):  
Bhagyashri D Navalkele ◽  
Myrtle Tate ◽  
Jeff Dunaway ◽  
Sheila Fletcher ◽  
Barbara Inman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Improve Hand Hygiene ◽  
Early 19Th Century ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Multimodal Intervention ◽  
Hygiene Compliance

Abstract Background Since the early 19th century, hand hygiene (HH) has been recognized as the most important factor in preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Still, improving HH compliance is a major hurdle for most healthcare facilities. Our study objective was to evaluate effectiveness of bundled intervention tools in increasing hand hygiene (HH) compliance. Methods The study was performed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center located in Jackson, MS. A multidisciplinary HH team was established in January 2016. Team members included infection prevention, nurse managers, physician, resident, housekeeping, process engineers, and ancillary staff. Hand hygiene compliance was determined based on room entry and exit observations. Intervention strategies were based on Joint Commission Center’s Targeted Solutions Tool (TST) to identify barriers in HH compliance, standardization of data collection, covert observer training and Just-in-time training of providers. Other strategies implemented included education and feedback, rewards and recognition, and system change measures during the 3-year study period (timeline in Table 1). Hand hygiene compliance was calculated based on number of compliance opportunities/total number of observations. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was performed to analyze HH data. We did not assess the concomitant reduction in HAI rates as simultaneous HAI prevention strategies confounded analysis. Results Based on total 95,491 observations performed (January 2016- December 2018), there was a statistically significant improvement in HH compliance during the study period from 66.5% in 2016 to 73% in 2017 and 79.5% in 2018 (P = 0.04). Conclusion At our institution, we observed a 56% improvement in hand hygiene compliance over 36-months timeframe. Multidisciplinary team involvement and multimodal intervention strategies play crucial role in improvement and sustainment of HH compliance. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Improvement of hand hygiene compliance among health professional staff of Neonatology Department in Nyamata Hospital

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solange Umulisa ◽  
Angele Musabyimana ◽  
Rex Wong ◽  
Eva Adomako ◽  
April Budd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Compliance Rate ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
Improve Hand Hygiene ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hygiene Compliance

Purpose The purpose of this study is to improve the hand hygiene compliance in a hospital in Rwanda. Hand hygiene is a fundamental routine practice that can greatly reduce risk of hospital-acquired infections; however, hand hygiene compliance in the hospital was low. Design/methodology/approach A multiple-strategy intervention was implemented with a focus on ensuring stable water supply was available through installing mobile hand hygiene facilities. Findings The intervention significantly increased the overall hand hygiene compliance rate by 35 per cent. The compliance for all of the five hand hygiene moments and all professions also significantly increased. Practical implications By implementing an intervention that involved multiple strategies to address the root causes of the problem, this quality improvement project successfully created an enabling environment to increase hand hygiene compliance. The hospital should encourage using the strategic problem-solving method to conduct more quality improvement projects in other departments. Originality/value Findings from this study may be useful for hospitals in similar settings seeking to improve hand hygiene compliance.

scholarly journals Using targeted solution tools as an initiative to improve hand hygiene: challenges and lessons learned

2017 ◽  
Vol 146 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. AL-TAWFIQ ◽  
M. TREBLE ◽  
R. ABDRABALNABI ◽  
C. OKEAHIALAM ◽  
S. KHAZINDAR ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Compliance Rate ◽  
Blood Stream ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Healthcare Associated Infection ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Improve Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Tract Infections

SUMMARYThe Joint Commission Centre for Transforming Healthcare's Web-based Targeted Solutions Tool (TST) for improving hand hygiene was implemented to elucidate contributing factors to low compliance rates of hand hygiene. Monitoring of compliance was done by trained unknown and known observers and rates of hospital-acquired infections were tracked and correlated against the changes in hand hygiene compliance. In total, 5669 of hand hygiene observations were recorded by the secret observers. The compliance rate increased from 75·4% at baseline (May–August 2014) to 88·6% during the intervention (13 months) and the control periods (P < 0·0001). Reductions in healthcare-associated infection rates were recorded for Clostridium difficle infections from 7·95 (CI 0·8937–28·72) to 1·84 (CI 0·02411–10·26) infections per 10 000 patient-days (P = 0·23), central line-associated blood-stream infections from 5·9 (CI 1·194–17·36) to 2·9 (0·7856–7·475) per 1000 device days (P = 0·37) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections from 5·941 (CI 1·194–17·36) to 0 per 1000 device days (P = 0·42). The top contributing factors for non-compliance were: improper use of gloves, hands full of supplies or medications and frequent entry or exit in isolation areas. We conclude that the application of TST allows healthcare organisations to improve hand hygiene compliance and to identify the factors contributing to non-compliance.

scholarly journals The effect of education on improving hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-71
Author(s):  
Abigail Mitchell ◽  
Christian Schadt ◽  
Shamarra Johnson ◽  
Mary Thisbe Quilab
Keyword(s):  
Interventional Radiology ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Cardiac Catheterization ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Compliance Rate ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory ◽  
Hygiene Compliance

Background: Proper hand hygiene is the most effective way to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Hand hygiene compliance rates among healthcare workers remain unsatisfactory. This study investigated the effects of unit in-service education on hand hygiene compliance in an Interventional Radiology and Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory department in a tertiary hospital in Florida. Methods: An observational study was conducted for five weeks. A total of 120 participants, consisting of 40 physicians, 40 registered nurses, 40 technologists were observed by a secret shopper pre-education and post education. A pre-education baseline compliance rate was established for each group. Pre-education observation occurred for two weeks before the intervention, one week for the implementation of unit in-service education, another two weeks for post education observation. The hand hygiene audit tool was utilized to record the observation data. Data analysis: Quantitative data were analyzed using a one-tailed T-test to determine P values for each group. Results: Results showed a 20 % increase among physicians, 15% among nurses and 5% among technologists. There was a statistical significance for the physician and nurse groups. Conclusion: The study implies that education is an effective intervention in improving hand hygiene compliance rates among the staff in the interventional radiology and cardiac catheterization department.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document