Relationship between healthcare worker surface contacts, care type and hand hygiene: an observational study in a single-bed hospital ward

This study quantifies the relationship between hand hygiene and the frequency with which healthcare workers (HCWs) touch surfaces in patient rooms. Surface contacts and hand hygiene were recorded in a single-bed UK hospital ward for six care types. Surface contacts often formed non-random patterns,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of hospital infection 2016-09, Vol.94 (1), p.48-51
Main Authors: King, M-F., Noakes, C.J., Sleigh, P.A., Bale, S., Waters, L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitude of Health Personnel
Cross Infection - prevention & control
Disease Transmission, Infectious - prevention & control
Hand hygiene
Hand Hygiene - methods
Hospital-acquired infection
Humans
Infection Control - methods
Patients' Rooms
Surface contacts
Touch
United Kingdom
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Summary:This study quantifies the relationship between hand hygiene and the frequency with which healthcare workers (HCWs) touch surfaces in patient rooms. Surface contacts and hand hygiene were recorded in a single-bed UK hospital ward for six care types. Surface contacts often formed non-random patterns, but hygiene before or after patient contact depends significantly on care type (P=0.001). The likelihood of hygiene correlated with the number of surface contacts (95% confidence interval 1.1–5.8, P=0.002), but not with time spent in the room. This highlights that a potential subconscious need for hand hygiene may have developed in HCWs, which may support and help focus future hygiene education programmes.
ISSN:0195-6701
1532-2939
DOI:10.1016/j.jhin.2016.05.003