HEALTHCARE & HOSPITALS


HAND HYGIENE IS NOT JUST


FOR HEALTHCARE STAFF


Infection control teams are constantly coming up with new ways to get healthcare workers to wash their hands. But what is being done to improve hand hygiene among patients and visitors? Tork manufacturer SCA discusses.


In November 2016, the Secretary of State for Health unveiled details of the government’s tough new stance on infection control. Speaking at the Royal College of Nursing in London, Jeremy Hunt announced that efforts to improve basic procedures such as hand washing would be at the heart of a new and concerted effort to tackle deadly hospital superbugs; adding that NHS organisations would be expected to publish data on staff hand hygiene performance in order to hold people accountable.


In fact, the idea that good hand hygiene should be the cornerstone of any infection control programme is hardly a new one. Over the years there have been various attempts to improve healthcare hygiene among medical staff using prompts such as stickers, posters and even electronic badges that light up when a medic has washed his or her hands.


Healthcare staff have a duty of care to avoid spreading infections among their charges. But what part do patients and visitors need to play in reducing the risks of cross-contamination?


Many patients are hospitalised precisely because they have an infection, a virus or an open wound. This means there is obviously a strong possibility that they will transfer their germs onto frequently-touched items in their immediate environment, which might include bedside tables, trays, lockers and wheelchairs.


Studies show that cold and flu viruses can easily be transferred to hard surfaces – and may continue


16 | TOMORROW’S FM


up to 60% of UK patients use no hand washing facilities whatsoever during their hospital stay. Meanwhile, a second study in the US revealed that around 10% of patients harbour an antibiotic-resistant bug on being transferred to a post-acute care facility from a hospital.


to contaminate them long after first contact. One such study carried out at the University of Virginia revealed that anyone touching a surface within an hour of contamination had a 60% chance of picking up the virus. The risk of contamination gradually diminishes over time, but even after 18 hours there is a 33% chance that the next person to touch the surface will become infected.


The increasing use of smartphones – and the fact that mobile phone use is no longer banned in many hospitals - is another potential source of contamination. A Turkish study carried out in 2011 found that just over 20% of patients’ smartphones were contaminated with pathogens, for example. A UK study the same year found that 12% of patients’ phones harboured pathogens that were known to cause healthcare- acquired infections.


It also appears that patients are not always the most diligent of hand- washers. A study carried out by the Nursing Times in 2011 revealed that


However, many patients might be persuaded to improve their hand hygiene if user-friendly facilities are provided. The Nursing Times study revealed that some hand hygiene products proved to be much more popular with patients than others. When 200 patients were offered a choice of alcohol foams, alcohol wipes, wet cloths, bowls of soapy water and mobile sinks for example, it emerged that alcohol foam was the most popular choice regardless of age, dexterity and mobility.


The studies conclude that encouraging patients to wash their hands is currently an underused strategy and that providing the right tools in a convenient location is key to a successful hand hygiene campaign.


While it is true that patients need to improve their hand hygiene, hospital visitors are another potential source of contamination. Visitors are not given any health screening before entering a hospital so it is conceivable that some could be suffering from a contagious illness or coming down with a cold or flu. They may then touch surfaces such as bed frames, chairs and curtains during their visit - and of course they may also potentially touch the patient.


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