Adherence to hand hygiene and risk factors for poor adherence in 13 Ontario acute care hospitals

Dominik Mertz; Jennie Johnstone; Paul Krueger; Kevin Brazil; Stephen D Walter; Mark Loeb

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2010.12.002

Adherence to hand hygiene and risk factors for poor adherence in 13 Ontario acute care hospitals

Am J Infect Control. 2011 Oct;39(8):693-696. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2010.12.002. Epub 2011 Jun 12.

Authors

Dominik Mertz¹, Jennie Johnstone², Paul Krueger³, Kevin Brazil⁴, Stephen D Walter⁵, Mark Loeb⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
² Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
³ Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; St. Josephs Health System, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁶ Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 21664722
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2010.12.002

Abstract

Multicenter studies assessing hand hygiene adherence and risk factors for poor performance are scarce. In an observational study involving 13 hospitals across Ontario, Canada, we found a mean adherence rate of 31.2%, and that adherence was positively associated with nurses, single rooms, contact precautions, and the availability of alcohol hand rub dispensers.

Publication types

Multicenter Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alcohols / administration & dosage
Female
Guideline Adherence*
Hand Disinfection / methods*
Hand Disinfection / standards
Health Personnel / psychology*
Hospitals
Humans
Hygiene
Male
Observation / methods
Ontario
Risk Factors

Substances

Alcohols

Grants and funding

Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Canada