Reducing health care-associated infections by implementing a novel all hands on deck approach for hand hygiene compliance

Emily E Sickbert-Bennett; Lauren M DiBiase; Tina M Schade Willis; Eric S Wolak; David J Weber; William A Rutala

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2015.11.016

Reducing health care-associated infections by implementing a novel all hands on deck approach for hand hygiene compliance

Am J Infect Control. 2016 May 2;44(5 Suppl):e13-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2015.11.016.

Authors

Emily E Sickbert-Bennett¹, Lauren M DiBiase², Tina M Schade Willis³, Eric S Wolak⁴, David J Weber², William A Rutala²

Affiliations

¹ Hospital Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Health Care, Chapel Hill, NC; Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Hospital Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Health Care, Chapel Hill, NC; Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC.
³ Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC.
⁴ Division of Nursing, University of North Carolina Health Care, Chapel Hill, NC.

PMID: 27131129
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2015.11.016

Abstract

Hand hygiene is a key intervention for preventing health care-associated infections; however, maintaining high compliance is a challenge, and accurate measurement of compliance can be difficult. A novel program that engaged all health care personnel to measure compliance and provide real-time interventions overcame many barriers for compliance measurement and proved effective for sustaining high compliance and reducing health care-associated infections.

Keywords: Clostridium difficile; Hand hygiene; health care–associated infections; intervention.

MeSH terms

Cross Infection / prevention & control*
Guideline Adherence / organization & administration*
Guideline Adherence / statistics & numerical data*
Hand Hygiene / methods*
Health Personnel*
Humans
Infection Control / methods*
Infection Control / organization & administration*