Perform hand hygiene and the doors will open - the effectiveness of new system implementation on paediatric intensive care unit visitors' handwashing compliance.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether a touchless dispenser system linked to automatic ICU doors could improve hand hygiene compliance among hospital staff and visitors.
Results Summary
Hand hygiene performance significantly increased from 46.9% before the intervention to 98.5% after implementing the touchless dispenser system, demonstrating a strong improvement in compliance. The study suggests that linking hand sanitizer use to automatic door operation can effectively enhance infection control measures.
Population
Hospital staff and visitors entering a paediatric ICU.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
4 weeks post-intervention
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
a simple, inexpensive module that connects touchless dispensers of alcohol sanitiser (TDAS) to the automatic doors of a paediatric ICU | increase | HH performance on entering an ICU | hospital staff and visitors | - | improved | #1 |
a simple, inexpensive module that connects touchless dispensers of alcohol sanitiser (TDAS) to the automatic doors of a paediatric ICU | increase | Overall HH performance | - | 46.9% (92/196) before and 98.5% (406/413) after | was | #2 |
Hand hygiene (HH) performance on entering intensive care units (ICUs) is commonly accepted but often inadequately performed. We developed a simple, inexpensive module that connects touchless dispensers of alcohol sanitiser (TDAS) to the automatic doors of a paediatric ICU, and assessed the impact of this intervention on HH compliance of hospital staff and visitors. A prospective observational study was conducted over a 3-week period prior to the intervention, followed by a 4-week period post intervention. HH performance was monitored by a research assistant whose office location enabled direct and video-assisted observation of the ICU entrance. A total of 609 entries to the ICU was recorded. Overall HH performance was 46.9% (92/196) before and 98.5% (406/413) after the intervention. Our findings suggest that HH performance on entering an ICU can be improved via a mechanism that makes operation of an automatic door dependent on use of a TDAS system, and thus contribute to infection control.