Development of the initial Leapfrog Group's hand hygiene standard

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Infection prevention and control
• Hospital administration

Background:

• Health care-associated infections (HAIs) pose a significant threat in US hospitals, causing mortality and high costs.
• Up to 70% of HAIs are preventable, primarily through effective hand hygiene.
• Hospital hand hygiene adherence rates remain suboptimal despite its importance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development, testing, and refinement of a standard aimed at enhancing hand hygiene adherence in US hospitals.
• To provide a practical framework for hospitals to improve infection prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

• A standard was developed based on existing literature and expert panel guidance, encompassing 5 key domains.
• An initial survey was pilot-tested by 1,698 hospitals in 2019 for refinement.
• Public reporting of hospital performance against the standard commenced in 2020.

Main Results:

• Hospital performance and adherence to the hand hygiene standard showed consistent growth from 2020 to 2023.
• An increasing percentage of reporting hospitals met individual domains and the overall standard.
• The pilot testing and subsequent implementation facilitated refinement and improvement of the standard.

Conclusions:

• The Leapfrog hand hygiene standard serves as a practical guide for hospitals.
• Implementation of the standard supports the adoption of best practices for hand hygiene.
• The standard contributes to the prevention of health care-associated infections.