Korean J Nosocomial Infect Control.  2006 Jun;11(1):35-41.

Comparison of Handwashing Perception and Compliance between Direct Patient Contact and Indirect Contact Groups among Hospital Employees

• Kim OS
• Yoon SW
• Peck KR
• Oh WS
• Song JH
• Shin EJ
• Sung YH
• Lee NY

Abstract

Backgound: The aim of this study was to compare the levels of perception of and compliance with handwashing between the groups of direct patient contact and indirect contact in a tertiary-care university hospital.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted in a university hospital with 4,500 employees. A questionnaire, containing questions on demographic data and the perception of and compliance with handwashing, was distributed to and collected from a total of 1,087 employees from June 25 to July 10, 2005.
RESULTS
The study subjects washed their hands an average of 11.2 times (range, 1-100) per day: nurses washed their hands more frequently than others. The average duration of handwashing by employees was 18.8 seconds. Those in the direct patient contact group scored significantly higher points than did those in the indirect contact group in both perception (P<.021) of and compliance (P<.001) with handwashing.
CONCLUSION
Education for handwashing is needed direction employees who have indirect contact with patients to improve their compliance with handwashing.

Keyword

Compliance; Handwashing; Perception

MeSH Terms

Compliance*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Education
Hand
Hand Disinfection*
Humans
Surveys and Questionnaires