Recent research suggests the combination of technology and verbal feedback may improve and sustain hand hygiene practices among healthcare personnel, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
For their study, researchers installed cameras with views of every sink and hand sanitizer dispenser to record staff members' hand hygiene practices. Additional sensors were installed in doorways to detect when an employee entered or exited. A remote video auditor would observe employees washing their hands or using the sanitizers and assign either a "pass" or a "fail." One 16-week study period assessed hand hygiene practices with the video auditing alone, and another 91-week study period assessed hand hygiene practices with video auditing and performance feedback.
The results showed hand hygiene rates were less than 10 percent during the 16-week auditing-only period. That rate skyrocketed to 81.6 percent during the 16-week feedback period, and that increase slightly improved through the remaining 75 weeks to 87.9 percent.
For their study, researchers installed cameras with views of every sink and hand sanitizer dispenser to record staff members' hand hygiene practices. Additional sensors were installed in doorways to detect when an employee entered or exited. A remote video auditor would observe employees washing their hands or using the sanitizers and assign either a "pass" or a "fail." One 16-week study period assessed hand hygiene practices with the video auditing alone, and another 91-week study period assessed hand hygiene practices with video auditing and performance feedback.
The results showed hand hygiene rates were less than 10 percent during the 16-week auditing-only period. That rate skyrocketed to 81.6 percent during the 16-week feedback period, and that increase slightly improved through the remaining 75 weeks to 87.9 percent.
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