Hand Hygiene Practices (Essay Sample)

HAND HYGIENE PRACTICES
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Abstract
The essay below discusses how important hand hygiene practices are. Marfaq Hospital observed that an increase in hand hygiene compliance significantly reduced the health-associated infection (HAI). The author has also discussed the similarities and differences between the approaches used by the Marfaq Hospital to encourage hand hygiene, and those that the JCI HANDS framework and South Australian self-assessment tool recommend.
Introduction
Poor hand hygiene practices can derail your entire life. Lack of proper hand hygiene is widely regarded as one of the major causes of infections. After observing that the rate of hand hygiene compliance in Marfaq Hospital was low, the stakeholders decided to revert the situation by implementing major interventions. While some of these interventions vary with the approaches recommended in the JCI HANDS framework, others are similar. The South Australian hand hygiene self-assessment tool recommends some approaches to improve hand hygiene compliance. A decent comparison between these approaches and those carried out at Marfaq Hospital has been made.
Question 1
Pathogens are mostly transmitted among patients through the contaminated hands of healthcare service providers. Though the professional ethics of health care workers require them to comply with infection prevention practices, they rarely do so. Proper hygiene is a great tool in prevention of many infections as Khuan (2012) describes..
Evidence shows that hand hygiene practices decreases the transmission of healthcare-associated infection (HAI). In the present day healthcare, the link between improvements in HAI and hand hygiene is difficult to prove. However, the importance of quality hand hygiene practices is generally acknowledged by the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization. These organizations recommend quality hand hygiene practices, since such practices help to reduce HAI.
After several interventions and hand hygiene campaigns were implemented in Mafraq Hospital, the hand hygiene compliance increased by 86% in the year 2011 (Khuan, 2012). Consequentially, the rate of HAI decreased significantly. Thus, with an increased hand hygiene compliance, the transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens from healthcare professionals to patients, or from one patient to another drastically reduced.
Low rates of hand hygiene compliance can be partly blamed as the major cause of HAI. A handwash cannot reduce infections if health care professionals lack the knowledge of infection prevention procedures (Slyne et al., 2012). The significance of quality hand hygiene practices drove a rigorous research at Mafraq Hospital. It explored the various interventions that could be implemented to change the state of patient safety in a hospital setting. By improving compliance through the hand hygiene campaigns, the patient safety was significantly increased by minimizing the vulnerability to various pathogens.
Kampf & Ostermeyer (2009), argue that a 1-minute handwash does not impair hospital acquired bacterial flora. Unless done for several minutes, a short time handwash cannot reduce HAI. This calls for the adherence to quality hand hygiene which deserves critical emphasis in the implementation of programs that facilitate reduction of HAI (Dedrick et al., 2014). To prevent individuals from contracting HAI, it becomes critical for every worker in a hospital to comply with quality hand hygiene practices. Since it poses a great threat to patient safety, HAI can be alleviated by observing quality hand hygiene.
Question 2
The World Health Organization (WHO) initiated a global safety challenge to improve patient safety. This gave rise to the WHO ‘five moments of hand hygiene’ (Cheng et al., 2011). There are many factors which may influence the risk perception of not consistently abiding by these ‘five moments of hand hygiene’ prior to the launch of hand hygiene campaign at Mafraq hospital.
To start with, the lack of product promotion may not be enough to bring about the desired practice. This includes posters and recognition awards when caught using a hand rub. Prior to the launch of hand hygiene campaign at Mafraq Hospital, there were no posters to let people know the importance of complying with the hand hygiene observance.
Before the hand hygiene campaign kicked off at Mafraq Hospital, there were no audits to let the stakeholders know how low hand hygiene compliance at the hospital was. Thus, the leaders could not come up with remedies to increase the hand hygiene fulfilment rate. The healthcare workers were not punished if found not abiding by the ‘five moments of hand hygiene’. Therefore, the workers inconsistently followed these moments.
Indicators
Two indicators were used for ascertaining the effectiveness of hand hygiene compliance. Poor hand hygiene conformity rate by hospital staff was used as a process indicator. The lower the compliance, the lower the effectiveness. The effect of the decrease in hand hygiene compliance is significantly remarkable in a hospital setting. (Salama, Jamal & Mousa, 2012).
The high rate of HAI was used as an outcome indicator. Put in better terms, the high rate of HAI showed that the staff members of the hospitals were not obligatory to the hand hygiene practice. Consequentially, this indicated that the effectiveness of hand hygiene acquiescence was not optimized.
Question 3
Marfaq hospital was dedicated to improving hand hygiene practices in all its departments. It designed various approaches to help in the improvement and maintenance of hand hygiene by its workers. Some of these approaches are similar to those recommended by the South Australian hand hygiene self-assessment tool. However, there are those that differ significantly.
Similarities
The WHO 5 elements for hand hygiene are considered in both cases. According to Khuan ( 2012), Mafraq Hospital printed the 5 WHO moments on posters and leaflets. On its part, the South Australian hand hygiene self-assessment tool framework is divided into five components which reflect the five WHO moments for the hand hygiene improvement strategy. Additionally, it also recommends the use of posters to explain the indications of hand hygiene.
In both cases, the uses of alcohol-based hand rub dispensers are encouraged. Since they are tolerated by health care service provider’s skin, they become an integral part in the maintenance of hand hygiene in a hospital setting. As a matter of fact, Marfaq Hospital mounted these dispensers not only on time and attendance machines, but also in all the elevators.
Training of the health care worker’s is also reinforced in both cases. Marfaq hospital educated its workers on the importance and the various techniques of observing hand hygiene. The South Australian hand hygiene self-assessment tool calls for the training of health care professionals based on the HHA multimodal improvement strategy for hand hygiene.
Differences
The South Australian hand hygiene self-assessment tool advocates for the creation of a hand hygiene team (Department of Health, Government of South Australia, 2014). On the other hand, Marfaq Hospital created a team of specialists to perform hand hygiene random audits which are not advocated for in the South Australian hand hygiene self-assessment tool.
Whereas the Marfaq Hospital promoted the creation of a hand shape mascot, the South Australian hand hygiene self-assessment tool does not call for the creation of this hand shape mascot.
The South Australian hand hygiene self-assessment tool advocates for the creation of a system to identify capable hand hygiene role models and leaders from all departments in a hospital. Marfaq Hospital, however, was not involved in the recognition and utilization of any leader or role model to help in the compliance of hand hygiene practice.
Whereas the South Australian hand hygiene self-assessment tool recommends the placement of liquid soap and single use towels at each sink, Marfaq Hospital did not recommend the use of these important materials in their hand hygiene campaign.
Question 4
To enhance hand hygiene compliance, Mafraq Hospital designed and implemented some interventions. These interventions helped to break down the barriers that inhibit compliance with the hand hygiene policies. While some of them differ significantly with the approaches recommended in the JCI HANDS framework, some are more or less similar.
Similarities
The JCI HANDS framework provides proper education as an effective approach to improve hand hygiene in specif...