Improving Hand Hygiene Compliance: Strategies, Challenges & Innovations Whitepaper

Hand hygiene compliance is a cornerstone of patient safety, yet achieving high compliance rates remains a challenge in healthcare settings. Studies have shown that the average hand hygiene compliance rate among healthcare workers is estimated to be around 40%, well below what is required to prevent the spread of infection.

There are several reasons for this low compliance rate, such as lack of motivation or awareness, inadequate infrastructure, and time constraints. Within the busy atmosphere of the healthcare environment, workers may struggle with finding the time to adequately wash their hands or educate themselves and participate in training. Lack of incentive from administration as well as inadequate facilities (soap, hand sanitizer, etc.) exacerbate this issue.

While healthcare workers often encounter numerous obstacles that impede hand hygiene compliance, the consequences of poor hand hygiene in healthcare settings are severe. Inadequate hand hygiene practices contribute significantly to the spread of HAIs, increasing patient mortality, extending hospital stays, and increasing healthcare costs.

These consequences can erode the trust and safety of the facility over time, reducing the quality of care overall. To put this into perspective, HAIs affect 1 in 31 patients, leading to 700,000 deaths per year, and are estimated to cost $28.4 billion annually in medical costs for hospitals. These challenges along with the consequences of not overcoming them can be avoided through proper hand-washing protocols and a commitment to rigorous hygiene standards.

Despite the barriers involved in achieving proper hand hygiene compliance, there are several strategies to enhance protocols in any healthcare facility. Implementing robust strategies can significantly enhance compliance rates and build a foundation for a culture of safety, ultimately improving patient outcomes and even saving lives. These strategies are designed to address the most common root causes of poor hand-washing compliance.

For example, regular training sessions and refresher courses reinforce the importance of hand hygiene and educate staff on best practices continuously. The use of visual reminders and aids can help remind healthcare workers and patients alike to wash their hands when they are most likely to forget. The incorporation of training and reminders that are tailored to the needs of specific healthcare workers as they conduct their duties not only can improve compliance but also emphasize a dedication to safety by administration and build a positive workplace environment for staff.

In addition to internal changes, healthcare facilities can leverage guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to inform their own strategies that work best for them. The WHO’s Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care and the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign, which both aim to promote hand hygiene awareness and improvement among healthcare workers globally, are great resources for education.

These guidelines offer evidence-based recommendations for best hand-washing practices and are designed to be a global standard for infection prevention. By adhering to these internationally recognized protocols, healthcare organizations can ensure their practices align with the best available evidence. To learn more about hand hygiene compliance and the strategies that can be implemented to increase compliance rates and improve patient outcomes, download our full whitepaper today.

Ready to improve hand hygiene compliance at your organization? Set up a call with our team to learn how our automated checklists and rounding tools can help you enhance infection control and foster a culture of safety.