Comparison of two electronic hand hygiene systems using real-time feedback via wireless technology to improve hand hygiene compliance in an intensive care unit

• Published in: Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE 2022, Vol.2 (1), p.e127-e127, Article e127
• Main Authors: Generoso, Jr, José R, Casaroto, Eduardo, Neto, Ary Serpa, Prado, Marcelo, Gagliardi, Guilherme M, de Menezes, Fernando Gatti, Gonçalves, Priscila, Hohmann, Fábio Barlem, Olivato, Guilherme Benfatti, Gonçalves, Gustavo Potratz, Pereira, Andréa Marques, Xavier, Nathalia, Miguel, Marcelo Fernandes, da Silva Victor, Elivane, Edmond, Michael B, Marra, Alexandre R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Original
• ISSN: 2732-494X; 2732-494X
• DOI: 10.1017/ash.2022.270

Most hand hygiene (HH) intervention studies use a quasi-experimental design, are primarily uncontrolled before-and-after studies, or are controlled before-and-after studies with a nonequivalent control group. Well-funded studies with improved designs and HH interventions are needed. To evaluate healthcare worker (HCW) HH compliance with alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) through direct observation (human observer), 2 electronic technologies, a radio frequency identification (RFID) badge system, and an invasive device sensor. In our controlled experimental study, 2,269 observations were made over a 6-month period from July 1 to December 30, 2020, in a 4-bed intensive care unit. We compared HH compliance between a basic feedback loop system with RFID badges and an enhanced feedback loop system that utilized sensors on invasive devices. Real-time feedback by wireless technology connected to a patient's invasive device (enhanced feedback loop) resulted in a significant increase in HH compliance (69.5% in the enhanced group vs 59.1% in the basic group; = .0001). An enhanced feedback loop system connected to invasive devices, providing real-time alerts to HCWs, is effective in improving HH compliance.