Work

Patient and visitor engagement in improving health care personnel hand hygiene: A multihospital pilot program

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of infection prevention; however, many health care institutions struggle to achieve consistently high health care personnel (HCP) compliance. Engaging patients/visitors in hand hygiene interventions is an important strategy to improve accountability and compliance. METHODS: We piloted a program enabling patients/visitors to audit HCP hand hygiene practices across 3 acute care hospitals and a pediatric/adolescent behavioral health hospital. An initial pilot ran from August 2024 to January 2025 in 1 outpatient clinic and 5 inpatient units across 4 hospitals before being expanded to all inpatient units and select on-site outpatient areas across these hospitals. Patient/visitor participants submitted anonymous audits via QR code or paper forms, documenting HCP hand hygiene and comfort prompting staff to perform hand hygiene. RESULTS: Participants completed 360 hand hygiene audits, with observed HCP compliance of 86% (286/326), aligning with staff-reported compliance of 88% (126,653/144,214). HCP compliance observed by patients/visitors varied by hospital (77%-97%). 78% (254/324) of participants reported feeling comfortable prompting HCP to perform hand hygiene. Discomfort was associated with lower observed compliance across all sites. CONCLUSIONS: Patient and visitor auditing of HCP hand hygiene is feasible, acceptable, and may enhance accountability, representing a scalable, patient-centered adjunct to traditional compliance programs.

Source: American Journal of Infection Control

DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2025.12.002