Safety

Hand hygiene in healthcare not making the grade

OSHA Healthcare Connection, April 11, 2006

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Impatient with workers not washing their hands frequently or well enough, hospitals are aggressively monitoring hand hygiene-in some cases, penalizing healthcare workers for transgressions-according the April 5 Wall Street Journal.

Studies have shown that healthcare workers follow the CDC's guidelines for hand hygiene only 40%-50% of the time.

The article identifies three hospitals that have successfully used disciplinary action and performance evaluations to increase employee compliance above 80%. Engaging staff in the evaluation and selection of hand hygiene products is another method to improve compliance.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), in collaboration with the CDC, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, and the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America, has developed How-to Guide: Improving Hand Hygiene. Access to the guide is free, but registration with IHI is required.



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