What Season is Best for Healthcare Worker Hand Hygiene?

Brazilian hospital workers' hand hygiene compliance was lowest in the summer compared with other seasons, according to a study in the American Journal of Infection Control.

Researchers measured hand hygiene compliance from June 2006 to August 2009 following a three-month intervention. The first three months of the year, which is summer in Brazil, had a hand hygiene compliance rate of 53.7 percent, which was significantly lower than the 60.2 percent rate in the second trimester, which is fall. The second, third and fourth trimesters had compliance levels of 60.2 percent, 57.4 percent and 55.2 percent, respectively, but the differences were not statistically significant.

Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox!

The authors suggested that summer months may have lower hand hygiene compliance rates because the workload is higher and there are fewer well-trained personnel due to summer vacation.

More Articles on Hand Hygiene:

Study: Better Hand Hygiene Tied to 43% Decrease in Infection Rate
WHO's 5-Part Hand Hygiene Strategy Improved Compliance in 5 Countries

Study: Improved Workflow More Than Doubles Hand Hygiene Compliance

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 


Patient Safety Tools & Resources Database

Featured Webinars

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Podcast