Game on for prevention: using gamification to assess and spread hand hygiene knowledge amongst healthcare workers

hand hygiene is vital for preventing healthcare-associated infections, yet compliance among healthcare workers is low. To address this, we created an interactive online quiz using gamification to promote self-assessment and education.

the quiz was emailed to healthcare workers and students at a teaching hospital in Milan, Italy. Responses from 28/09/2023 to 09/02/2024 were analyzed, comparing correct response rates and average scores across categories (physicians, professionals, assistants, students, and others).

the gamification strategy led to high engagement, with 1,487 quizzes analyzed (14.0% of invited participants). Only 59% correctly identified the recommended handwashing duration, and 33% of physicians mistakenly thought it exceeded two minutes. Just 30% knew the WHO-recommended hand hygiene technique includes six steps. Half of respondents were unaware that soap is advised for C. difficile cases, though healthcare professionals were twice as likely as physicians to answer correctly. Healthcare professionals and assistants achieved significantly higher scores than physicians.

the findings highlighted a significant educational gap in hand hygiene knowledge among healthcare workers. However, strong engagement showed gamification's potential to address this gap. These results support combining gamification with other validated tools to improve compliance and knowledge.