Infect Chemother.  2014 Sep;46(3):165-171. 10.3947/ic.2014.46.3.165.

Improved Hand Hygiene Compliance is Associated with the Change of Perception toward Hand Hygiene among Medical Personnel

• Lee SS
• Park SJ
• Chung MJ
• Lee JH
• Kang HJ
• Lee JA
• Kim YK

• KMID: 2284973
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2014.46.3.165

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Hand hygiene compliance has improved significantly through hand hygiene promotion programs that have included poster campaign, monitoring and performance feedback, and education with special attentions to perceived subjective norms. We investigated factors associated with improved hand hygiene compliance, focusing on whether the improvement of hand hygiene compliance is associated with changed perception toward hand hygiene among medical personnel.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Hand hygiene compliance and perceptions toward hand hygiene among medical personnel were compared between the second quarter of 2009 (before the start of a hand hygiene promotion program) and the second quarter of 2012. We assessed adherence to hand hygiene among medical personnel quarterly according to the WHO recommended method for direct observation. Also, we used a modified self-report questionnaire to collect perception data.
RESULTS
Hand hygiene compliance among physicians and nurses improved significantly from 19.0% in 2009 to 74.5% in 2012 (P < 0001), and from 52.3% to 91.2% (P < 0.001), respectively. These improvements were observed in all professional status or all medical specialties that were compared between two periods, regardless of the level of the risk for cross-transmission. Hand hygiene compliance among the medical personnel continued to improve, with a slight decline in 2013. Perceptions toward hand hygiene improved significantly between 2009 and 2012. Specifically, improvements were evident in intention to adhere to hand hygiene, knowledge about hand hygiene methods, knowledge about hand hygiene indications including care of a dirty and a clean body site on the same patient, perceived behavioral and subjective norms, positive attitude toward hand hygiene promotion campaign, perception of difficulty in adhering to hand hygiene, and motivation to improve adherence to hand hygiene.
CONCLUSIONS
The examined hand hygiene promotion program resulted in improved hand hygiene compliance and perception toward hand hygiene among medical personnel. The improved perception increased hand hygiene compliance. Especially, the perception of being a role model for other colleagues is very important to improve hand hygiene compliance among clinicians.

Keyword

Hand Hygiene; Health personnel; Quality Improvement

MeSH Terms

Attention
Compliance*
Education
Hand Hygiene*
Health Personnel
Humans
Intention
Motivation
Quality Improvement
Surveys and Questionnaires

Figure

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  Figure 1 Five-year trend of hand hygiene compliance among medical personnel before and after the start of hand hygiene promotion campaign, 2009-2013. Hand hygiene compliance, % (adherence to hand hygiene/opportunities observed for hand hygiene).

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