Hand Hygiene Perception and Practice Among Health Care Workers in Saudi Hospitals: A Cross Sectional Survey

Abstract

Hand hygiene is recognized as the leading measure to prevent transmission of microorganisms and to reduce the incidence of health care associated infections in the hospitals. It is estimated that annually millions of patients are suffering from healthcare associated infections; however, hand hygiene is one of the most important contributing factors to healthcare acquired infections. A descriptive cross sectional design was utilized. 160 participants were included consisting of all accessible health care professions. A questionnaire adopted from the World Health Organization perception survey of health care workers was utilized, gathering data about the demographic data, the attitudes, and the opinions toward hand hygiene. The majority of the participants were females, young and from the nursing profession. Most of them reported that they had received previous education and they routinely use alcohol-based hand rub in their daily clinical practice. The majority believes that the availability of alcohol-based hand rubs at each point of care, receiving education on hand hygiene, and the use of hand hygiene posters have a great effect on the compliance with hand hygiene at the hospital. Half of the participants believe that the infection control committee members are the best to remind them to perform hand hygiene; while, most of them doesn’t prefer patients or their relatives as a reminder to perform hand hygiene. In conclusion, the respondents reported a high self-efficacy in performing hand hygiene and positive attitudes toward hand hygiene as one of the most effective strategies to reduce health care associated infections.