An interventional implementation project: hand hygiene improvement.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Infection Prevention and Control
• Public Health

Background:

• Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) pose a significant threat to patient safety.
• Effective hand hygiene is a cornerstone of HAI prevention strategies.
• This study addresses the need to improve hand hygiene practices in a Chinese hospital setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive hand hygiene improvement project.
• To assess changes in hand hygiene compliance rates among hospital staff over time.
• To identify variations in compliance across different professional groups.

Main Methods:

• A multi-phase intervention project was implemented in a 2,500-bed general teaching hospital from 2017 to 2019.
• Systematic evaluation based on five key factors guided the project.
• Hand hygiene compliance data were collected and statistically analyzed across three distinct phases and various professional roles.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increasing trend in hand hygiene compliance was observed as the project progressed (Ptrend<0.001).
• Overall compliance rates improved from 76.61% in phase 1 to 83.34% in phase 3 (P<0.001).
• Significant differences in compliance were noted among professions, with nurses exhibiting the highest rates (84.73%) and other workers the lowest (72.79%).

Conclusions:

• The hand hygiene improvement project successfully enhanced compliance rates among hospital staff.
• Sustained practice and continuous improvement are essential for habit formation.
• Key elements for project success include adequate facilities, monitoring, staff engagement, training, and feedback mechanisms.