infection control
of around 15 seconds – leaving the hands moist and workers waiting for them to dry before they can carry on with patient care. In support of a lower volume of
sanitiser, the research highlights that 95.7% of healthcare workers see 1.5 ml as sufficient for hand coverage. “Healthcare establishments and
individuals looking to improve hand hygiene in their workplaces could be forgiven for thinking that the results from recent research into the topic of hand hygiene are inconclusive,” said Jakeway. “But one indisputable fact is that
facilities with higher compliance rates will have a better chance of tackling AMR and preventing infection. “Ultimately, to improve compliance
across their facilities, healthcare organisations need to make each hand hygiene moment as simple as possible.
to compliance Simplicity key
How easy-to-use hand hygiene systems can drive improvements in compliance
A
s the threat of antimicrobial resistance grows, hand hygiene compliance in healthcare settings
will become critical. But it is often difficult for hospitals
and health centres to maintain. One of the best ways to improve
compliance, according to Paul Jakeway of Deb, is to make the procedures quick and easy to follow – without undermining their efficacy. And that's where the challenge lies. “Even the latest research into the
elements of hand hygiene compliance, including product volume and hand coverage, shows that providing effective procedures is not a one-size- fits-all exercise,” says Jakeway.
A moment in time A recent experimental study discovered that people rubbing their hands for 30 seconds did not see much more of a reduction in microbes than those rubbing their hands for 10, 15 or 20 seconds. This suggests that individuals could
look to cut down on the time they spend on each hand hygiene interaction – potentially making compliance easier to achieve.
healthcaredm.co.uk 37 Another factor researchers looked at
was the amount of sanitiser used during each wash. Within one study, researchers came
to the conclusion that, to keep hands moist for a 30-second rub, a higher volume of sanitiser would be needed – in the range of 2ml. However, a higher volume could
prove too much for a shorter hand rub
Gathering data “This means putting procedures in place that everyone can follow – with consistent techniques, timings and volumes used to ensure efficacy.” New and emerging technologies can
help with this, dispensing a specific amount of anti-bacterial solution for each handwash. To effectively gather data on hand
hygiene practices, healthcare facilities are also encouraged to implement an electronic monitoring system that allows them to accurately track compliance rates. “To tackle the rising threat of AMR
and prevent infection, healthcare organisations have to drive compliance – and the best way to do that is to make hand hygiene simple,” said Jakeway. “And what could be simpler than to
hit a button once to get the same amount of sanitiser every time? “It only takes a moment to get hand
hygiene right.”
www.debgroup.com
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