Impact of WHO Hand Hygiene Improvement Program Implementation: A Quasi-Experimental Trial.

Farinaz Farhoudi,Anahita Sanaei Dashti,Raziyeh Taghizadeh,Nadiyeh Ghalebi,Golnar Sajadi,Minoo Hoshangi Davani

doi:10.1155/2016/7026169

Farinaz Farhoudi, Anahita Sanaei Dashti + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/7026169

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Abstract

Objectives. As affirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), hand hygiene is the most powerful preventive measure against healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and, thus, it has become one of the five key elements of patient safety program. The aim is to assess the effect of implementation of the WHO's Multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy among healthcare workers of a tertiary teaching hospital in a developing country. Methods. Hand hygiene compliance was assessed among healthcare workers, according to five defined moments for hand hygiene of the WHO, before and after implementation of the WHO's Multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy in fourteen wards of a tertiary teaching hospital in Shiraz, Iran. We used direct observation method and documented the results in WHO hand hygiene observation forms. Results. There was a significant change in compliance before and after implementation of WHO's Multimodal HH Improvement Strategy (29.8% and 70.98%, resp.). Conclusions. Implementing WHO hand hygiene program can significantly improve hand hygiene compliance among nurses.

Highlights

Healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) is one of the most important challenges of healthcare systems due to its strong impact on patient’s safety and high financial burden [1,2,3,4]
Hands of healthcare personnel are known to be the main culprit of cross transmission of pathogens in healthcare facilities, and, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Hand hygiene WHO (HH) is the most effective preventive measure against HAIs
The Multimodal HH Improvement Strategy consists of five key elements that are (1) system change to ensure access of healthcare workers to HH facilities with emphasis on availability of alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) formulations at the point of care, (2) ongoing training and education, (3) evaluation of practices and feedback, (4) reminders at the workplace, and (5) providing a climate of safety through institution [14]

Summary

Introduction

Healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) is one of the most important challenges of healthcare systems due to its strong impact on patient’s safety and high financial burden [1,2,3,4]. The prevalence of HCAI is estimated between 5.1% and 11.6% [5]. In accordance with the first Global Patient Safety Challenge, the WHO published important instructions including guidelines on HH in healthcare, implementation of the WHO Multimodal HH Improvement Strategy, and HH technical reference manual [14]. The aim of these guidelines is to improve HH practices worldwide by creating a unified description for HH methods, right moments, and observation process and present multimodal strategies for improvement [14,15,16,17]

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