Multimodal intervention program to improve hand hygiene compliance: effectiveness and challenges

Hand hygiene compliance and improvement interventions in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers is crucial for preventing infections in healthcare settings. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the compliance of healthcare workers in the Eastern Mediterranean region with hand hygiene guidelines and synthesize evidence on the success rate of strategies to improve hand hygiene. Five electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus) were searched up to August 2020. Articles were included if they were conducted in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. A manual search was conducted for reference lists of included papers, and relevant additional references were reviewed. Two reviewers independently screened articles for inclusion, performed data extraction, and assessed quality. A meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize findings and determine the prevalence of hand hygiene compliance interventions. The search yielded 6678 articles. After removing duplicates and applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 42 articles were included, of which 24 were meta-analyzed. The meta-analysis showed a compliance prevalence of 32% with significant heterogeneity (I2= 99.7% p <0.001). Interventions using the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines were over two times more likely to improve compliance rates (OR= 2.26, [95% CI:(2.09 - 2.44)], I2= 95%, p<0.001) compared to no intervention. Other interventions were close to two times more likely to improve compliance rates (OR= 1.84, [95% CI:(1.66 - 2.04)], I2= 98% p= 0.001). Approximately two-thirds of healthcare providers in the Eastern Mediterranean region were non-compliant with standard hand hygiene practices, highlighting the need for increased efforts, awareness, observation, and control policies.

Implementing a multimodal intervention using local resources to improve hand hygiene compliance in a comprehensive specialized hospital in Mekelle, Northern Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Hand hygiene (HH) is known to be the most effective practice to reduce Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The main barriers to HH practices among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Sub-Saharan Africa are heavy workload, infrastructural deficits, and poorly positioned facilities. There is limited data on HH compliance and particularly on the impact of the World Health Organization's (WHO) multimodal HH strategy in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to provide insights into a strategy to implement the WHO concept adapted to local conditions and obstacles encountered at a tertiary university hospital in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia.

METHODS

We conducted a study aiming at increasing the quality of the HH practice of HCWs using the WHO HH improvement strategy. The study adopted a pre-and post-interventional design from April 2018 to May 2019. In the pre-intervention phase, a baseline infrastructural survey was made. The intervention consisted of in-house production of hand sanitizer and dispensers for every patient bed, staff education and motivation, and implementation of a multidisciplinary infection prevention committee. The intervention was followed by two one-week compliance observations of HH practice among HCWs within the six months post-intervention period and microbiological sample collection from HCWs' hands to assess the quality of HH.

RESULTS

We observed 269 (baseline), 737 (first follow-up) and 574 (second follow-up) indications for HH among HCWs. The overall baseline hand rub compliance was 4.8%, which significantly increased to 37.3% (first follow-up) and 56.1% (second follow-up) (p < 0.0001). Consistent and significant increases in hand rub compliance during the entire follow-up period were observed before touching a patient, after touching a patient, and after touching the patient's surroundings (all p < 0.01). Nurses and medical interns achieved consistent and significant increases in hand rub compliance during the entire follow-up period (all p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Implementing the WHO HH improvement strategy significantly increased HH compliance despite a shortage of water and other resources. Hand rub was accepted as the main HH method in the hospital. HH campaigns in developing settings profit from multimodal strategies, knowledge exchange and utilization of local resources.

Effectiveness of hand hygiene campaigns and interventions across the League of Arab States: a region-wide scoping review

Hand hygiene is a standard public health practice for limiting the spread of infectious diseases, yet they are still not routine global health behaviours. This review aimed to examine the effectiveness of various hand hygiene interventions conducted across the League of Arab States, identify gaps in the existing literature, and propose areas for future research and intervention development. A scoping review was conducted across 16 databases for relevant publications published up to and including October 2023. Forty studies met the inclusion criteria; of these, 34 were hospital-based and six community-based. Of the reviewed studies, 24 provided adequate details that would enable replication of their intervention. Eighteen of the studies used some variation of the World Health Organization's Five Moments for intervention content or assessment. More than half (N = 25) reported healthcare worker or student hand hygiene behaviours as an outcome and 15 studies also included some form of patient-centred outcomes. Six studies specified the use of theory or framework for their evaluation design or intervention content, and four studies mentioned use of local government guidelines or recommendations. Future research should focus on bridging the literature gaps by emphasizing community-based studies and integrating cultural nuances into intervention designs. Additionally, applying theoretical frameworks to hand hygiene studies could enhance understanding and effectiveness, ensuring sustainable improvements in hygiene practices across diverse settings in the League of Arab States.

Factors associated with the disinfection of devices attached to peripheral intravenous catheters performed by the nursing team in pediatric units

Background

Peripheral intravenous catheterization, as well as drug administration through it, represents one of the most performed procedures by the Nursing team and, for that, precautions need to be adopted to offer harm-free care.

Objective

To verify the association of Nursing professionals' work shift and training time with proper disinfection of intravenous catheter devices in pediatric units.

Methods

A cross-sectional and analytical study conducted between June and August 2021 in three hospitalization units of a Pediatric Hospital. The inclusion criterion was drug administration via peripheral intravenous catheters performed by Nursing professionals. The data were analyzed according to inferential statistics, adopting p ≤ .05 as significance level.

Results

There were a total of 385 observations of drug administration procedures. The device was not disinfected in 60.3% of the cases, there was no friction at the suitable time in 86.3%, and the disinfectant was not allowed to dry in 72.5%. The work shift exerted no influence on performance of the disinfection procedure (p = .376). However, longer training time was associated with a lower rate in performing such procedure (p < .001).

Conclusion

Performing friction below the recommended time can cause a false sense of prevention of catheter-associated bloodstream infection; therefore, training sessions and strategies for adherence to the disinfection procedures should be considered, mainly for professionals with more training time.

The Effect of Video-Assisted Training and Visual Feedback With UV Germ Technology on Nursing Students' Hand Hygiene Beliefs, Practices, and Compliance: A Randomized Controlled Study

BACKGROUND

Hand hygiene (HH) is the most effective way to prevent health care-associated infections; however, HH compliance rates continue to be suboptimal.

PURPOSE

To determine the effectiveness of video-assisted training and visual feedback with ultraviolet (UV) germ technology on nursing students' HH beliefs, practices, and compliance.

METHODS

This study used a double-blind, posttest randomized controlled design. The experimental group received training, visual feedback with UV germ technology, and instructional videos.

RESULTS

A total of 46 students were included in the study (experimental 21 and control 25). The mean score of the HH skills checklist of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group ( P = .0001). The HH compliance rate was also higher in the experimental group (52.62%) compared with the control group (39.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

The training, visual feedback with UV germ technology, and instructional videos increased HH compliance rates in nursing students.

The Variations in Catastrophic and Impoverishing Health Expenditures, and Its Determinants in Iran: A Scoping Review

Background

The high reliance on out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for health financing in Iran have been led to different inequity problems such as catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and impoverishment. This scoping review has been conducted to understand the variations in CHE and impoverishment, the underlying determinants of CHE, and its inequality in the past 20 years.

Methods

This scoping review is guided by Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework. systematically PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Scientific Information Database, IranMedex, IranDoc, Magiran Science, Google Scholar, and grey literature were searched systematically from 1 January 2000 to August 2021. We included studies that reported the rate of CHE, impoverishment, inequality, and its influencing factors. Simple descriptive statistics and narrative synthesis were used to present the review findings.

Results

From 112 included articles, the average incidence of CHE was 3.19% at the 40% threshold, and about 3.21% of the households had impoverished. We found an unfavorable status of health inequality indices, including the average of fair financial contribution (0.833), concentration (-0.01), Gini coefficient (0.42), and Kakwani (-0.149). The most widely applied key drivers influencing the rate of CHE in these studies were household economic status, place of residence, health insurance status, household size, head of the household's gender, education level and employment status, having a household member under 5/ above 60 years old, with chronic diseases (in particular cancer and dialysis), disability, using inpatient and outpatient and dentistry services, medicines and equipment, and low insurance coverage.

Conclusion

The result of this review calls for intensifying health policies and financing structures in Iran to provide more equitable access to all populations, especially the poorest and vulnerable. Moreover, the government is expected to adopt effective measures in inpatient and outpatient care, dental services, medicines, and equipment.

Compliance of Nurses with Hand Hygiene Guidelines in Tripoli University Hospital, 2019

Background Health care-associated infections (HAIs) result in high morbidity, decreased personal satisfaction, and mortality. Implementing infection prevention and control strategies such as hand hygiene (HH) promotion is critical to reduce the risk of the HAI and protect patients.

Aims This study aimed to determine the compliance rate of HH among nurses in Tripoli University Hospital (TUH, previously known as Tripoli Medical Center).

Method A cross-sectional study was conducted in different departments at TUH, starting from May 1st to October 31st, 2019. An observational checklist based on the “five moments for hand hygiene” of World Health Organization (WHO) was used. There were 271 nurses who interacted with 1,213 patients, a total of 3,452 HH episodes, and 6,065 cases of HH that were collected in this study, and data were statistically analyzed.

Results The overall HH compliance rate was 56.9%. Most of the nurses (86%) preferred to use HH after contact with individual patients and 71.6% after contact with patients' environment. There was, however, low percentage of HH prior to patient contact (35.1%). The compliance rate was higher among nurses of the age group of less than 20 years (60.8%), non-Libyan (60.7%), and those who received formal training (60.5%).

Conclusion In general, the HH compliance rate was low among nurses working in TUH. Education is an important factor that impacts the practice of HH pre- and postpatient contact. Wider studies that include assessment of pre- and posteducation courses should be conducted in the future.

Effect of the "Normalized Epidemic Prevention and Control Requirements" on hospital-acquired and community-acquired infections in China

BACKGROUND

No studies have yet reported the effect of prevention and control measures, which were implemented to combat COVID-19, on the prevention and control of common HAIs. We aimed to examine the effect of the "Normalized Epidemic Prevention and Control Requirements" (implemented in May 2020) by comparison of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and community-acquired infections (CAIs) in China during 2018, 2019, and 2020.

METHODS

Data of inpatients before and after implementation of new requirements were retrospectively analyzed, including infection rate, use of alcohol-based hand cleaner, anatomical sites of infections, pathogen species, infection by multi-drug resistant species, and use of different antibiotics.

RESULTS

The HAI rate was significantly higher in 2020 than in 2018 and 2019 (P < 0.05), and the CAI rate was significantly higher in 2019 and 2020 than in 2018 (P < 0.001). Lower respiratory tract infections were the most common HAI during all years, with no significant changes over time. Lower respiratory tract infections were also the most common CAI, but were significantly more common in 2018 and 2019 than 2020 (P < 0.001). There were no changes in upper respiratory tract infections among HAIs or CAIs. Most HAIs and CAIs were from Gram-negative bacteria, and the percentages of fungal infections were greater in 2019 and 2020 than 2018. MRSA infections were more common in 2020 than in 2018 and 2019 (P < 0.05). The utilization rate and usage days of antibiotics decreased over time (P < 0.001) and the culture rate of microbial specimens before antibiotic usage increased over time (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The new prevention and control requirements provided important benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, their effects on HAIs were not obvious.

Impact of a Multimodal Improvement Strategy to Promote Hand Hygiene at a Hospital in Mauritius

Introduction

Limited data is available on which interventions are likely to improve compliance to hand hygiene, especially in underdeveloped countries. The objective of this study is to explore whether the introduction of a particular bundle of strategies to improve hand hygiene is effective.

Material and methods

In this pre-post study, a multimodal strategy comprised of educating healthcare staff, using reminders, providing feedback and increasing the availability of soap and alcohol, was implemented over a period of one year from 2019 to 2020. Trained observers assessed compliance to hand hygiene before and after the intervention.

Results

A total of 143 hand hygiene opportunities were observed. Hand hygiene compliance rate did not improve despite the introduction of multiple measures.

Conclusions

Other approaches should be considered to promote hand hygiene. The choice of which strategies to use should be adapted to the local setting. For instance, in some healthcare facilities, emphasis should be placed on leadership support and on the training of hand hygiene champions.

Hand Areas Which Are Commonly Missed during Hand Disinfection by Nursing Students Who Completed a Basic Educational Course in Hand Hygiene

BACKGROUND

Teaching nursing students how to correctly perform hand hygiene procedures may guarantee a reduction in transmitting pathogens through direct contact and, thus, it may lead to a decrease in the number of hospital infections. The aim of the study, which was conducted in low fidelity simulation conditions, was to assess the performance and the efficiency of a hand-rubbing disinfection technique among nursing students on the last day of their course.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was conducted in a group of 190 nursing students studying at the Jagiellonian University and it focused on the performed hand-rubbing disinfection procedure. The accuracy of the task performance was assessed by measuring the percentage of the amount of Fluo-Rub (B. Braun) fluorescent alcohol-based gel remaining on students' hands after disinfection. The gel was rubbed into particular hand parts including four surfaces (left palm, right palm, left back and right back) divided into thirteen areas (I-XIII) and each surface was examined separately. The results were then dichotomized based on the cut-off point of 10% and two categories: "clean" and "dirty" were established. Additionally, the range of negligence in the disinfection procedure was assessed by counting the total number of the areas classified as "dirty". The comparison of continuous and categorical variables was conducted by means of Friedman's and Cochrane's tests, respectively.

RESULTS

It was found out that the palm surfaces that were commonly missed during hand disinfection included the whole thumb (I and VI), the fingertip of the little finger (V) and the midpalm (XIII), whereas in the case of back surfaces (on both right and left hand) the most commonly missed areas were the fingertips and the whole thumb I-VI. Only 30 students (13%) had all 52 areas of both hands completely clean, whereas more than one third-66 students (33%)-failed to disinfect properly more than 10 areas out of all assessed ones on the surfaces of both hands.

CONCLUSIONS

In the examined group of nursing students, a significant lack of compliance with hand disinfection procedures was observed and it was related mainly to thumbs and back parts of both hands. Therefore, it is essential to conduct systematic training sessions and assessment of hand hygiene procedures for nursing students at the end of every educational stage as it can lead to their developing these skills properly.