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

• Published in: BioMed research international Vol. 2016; no. 2016; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Authors: Sajadi, Golnar, Ghalebi, Nadiyeh, Hoshangi Davani, Minoo, Sanaei Dashti, Anahita, Farhoudi, Farinaz, Taghizadeh, Raziyeh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 01-01-2016; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Developing countries; Disease control; Female; Hand Hygiene - methods; Hand Hygiene - organization & administration; Hand Hygiene - standards; Health aspects; Hospitals, Teaching; Humans; Infection; Infection control; Iran; LDCs; Male; Nurses; Patient safety; Patients; Studies; Tertiary Care Centers; World Health Organization
• ISSN: 2314-6133; 2314-6141
• DOI: 10.1155/2016/7026169

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.