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Hand hygiene compliance in Dutch general practice offices
Nataliya Hilt1,2, Mariëtte Lokate2, Alfons OldeLoohuis3
1Radboudumc, Department of Medical Microbiology, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Archives of Public Health = Archives Belges De Sante Publique
|September 17, 2020
Summary
Hand hygiene compliance in Dutch general practices is low, particularly during home visits. Healthcare workers rarely used alcohol-based hand rub as recommended by the World Health Organization.
Area of Science:
- Infection Prevention and Control
- Public Health
- General Practice
Background:
- Hand hygiene (HH) is crucial for preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAI).
- Limited data exists on HH compliance in outpatient settings compared to hospitals.
- This study assesses HH compliance in general practitioners' (GPs) offices against World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate hand hygiene compliance in Dutch general practice settings.
- To identify specific areas of non-compliance with WHO HH recommendations.
Main Methods:
- An observational study was conducted in five Dutch GP practices in September 2017.
- Direct observation using the WHO's 'five moments of hand hygiene' tool was employed.
- One trained professional performed all observations.
Main Results:
- Overall HH compliance was 37% across 285 observed opportunities for 30 healthcare workers (HCWs).
- Compliance varied by role: GPs (34%), practice assistants (51%), and nurses (16%).
- No HH was performed during home visits (moment 5), despite 63% compliance after body fluid exposure.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare worker HH compliance in Dutch general practices is notably low.
- Non-compliance is particularly high during home visits.
- The majority of observed HCWs did not adopt the WHO-recommended switch to alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR).
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