Can educational speech intervention improve visitors' hand hygiene compliance?

Area of Science:

• Infection Control
• Public Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) pose a significant burden, with hospital visitors contributing to pathogen transmission.
• Low hand hygiene compliance among visitors is a critical factor in HAI spread and antimicrobial resistance.
• Targeting visitor hand hygiene is essential for comprehensive infection prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of an educational speech intervention (ESI) in improving hand hygiene compliance among hospital visitors.
• To quantify the change in visitor hand hygiene rates following the implementation of ESI.

Main Methods:

• An interventional study was conducted in a hospital inpatient unit from March to June 2019.
• Visitor hand hygiene compliance was observed pre- and post-ESI implementation.
• Data analysis included an unpaired t-test to compare compliance rates.

Main Results:

• Hand hygiene compliance increased dramatically from a baseline of 9.73% to 87.06% post-intervention (P<0.001).
• Key barriers identified were occupied hands, inaccessible supplies, and ingrained habits.
• Verbal reminders were the preferred method for encouraging hand hygiene.

Conclusions:

• Educational speech intervention is highly effective in enhancing visitor hand hygiene compliance.
• Further research is needed to assess the long-term sustainability of ESI and address persistent barriers.
• Implementing ESI can be a valuable tool in reducing HAI transmission within healthcare settings.