Patient, staff empowerment and hand hygiene bundle improved and sustained hand hygiene in hospital wards

We piloted a hand hygiene (HH) project in a ward, focusing on World Health Organization moments 1 and 4. Our aim was to design highly reliable interventions to achieve >90% compliance.

Baseline HH compliance was 57 and 67% for moments 1, 4, respectively, in 2015. After the pilot ward showed sustained improvement, we launched the 'HH bundle' throughout the hospital. This included: (i) appointment of HH champions; (ii) verbal/visual bedside reminders; (iii) patient empowerment; (iv) hand moisturisers; (v) tagging near-empty handrub (HR) bottles. Other hospital-wide initiatives included: (vi) Smartphone application for auditing; (vii) 'Speak up for Patient Safety' Campaign in 2017 for staff empowerment; (viii) making HH a key performance indicator.

Overall HH compliance increased from a baseline median of 79.6-92.6% in end-2019. Moments 1 and 4 improved from 71 to 92.7% and from 77.6 to 93.2%, respectively. Combined HR and hand wash consumption increased from a baseline median of 82.6 ml/patient day (PD) to 109.2 mL/PD. Health-care-associated rotavirus infections decreased from a baseline median of 4.5 per 10 000 PDs to 1.5 per 10 000 PDs over time.

The 'HH Bundle' of appointing HH champions, active reminders and feedback, patient education and empowerment, availability of hand moisturisers, tagging near-empty hand rub bottles together with hospital-wide initiatives including financial incentives and the 'Speak Up for Patient Safety' campaign successfully improved the overall HH compliance to >90%. These interventions were highly reliable, sustained over 4 years and also reduced health-care-associated rotavirus infection rates.