The effect of education on improving hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers

Abstract

Background: Proper hand hygiene is the most effective way to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Hand hygiene compliance rates among healthcare workers remain unsatisfactory. This study investigated the effects of unit in-service education on hand hygiene compliance in an Interventional Radiology and Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory department in a tertiary hospital in Florida. Methods: An observational study was conducted for five weeks. A total of 120 participants, consisting of 40 physicians, 40 registered nurses, 40 technologists were observed by a secret shopper pre-education and post education. A pre-education baseline compliance rate was established for each group. Pre-education observation occurred for two weeks before the intervention, one week for the implementation of unit in-service education, another two weeks for post education observation. The hand hygiene audit tool was utilized to record the observation data. Data analysis: Quantitative data were analyzed using a one-tailed T-test to determine P values for each group. Results: Results showed a 20 % increase among physicians, 15% among nurses and 5% among technologists. There was a statistical significance for the physician and nurse groups. Conclusion: The study implies that education is an effective intervention in improving hand hygiene compliance rates among the staff in the interventional radiology and cardiac catheterization department.