Tag Archives: Hand Hygiene
Preventing Nosocomial Outbreaks of the Novel Coronavirus
Since December 2019, major health organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been closely monitoring an outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus. The novel c...
3 Healthcare Trends That May Affect Your Bottom Line in 2020
Which trends will shape healthcare in 2020 and beyond? In the 2010s, the Affordable Care Act, telemedicine and an increasing emphasis on population-centered care shifted the way healthcare organizations provide services. To survive and provide top-no...
Does Hand Hygiene Performance Drop During the Holidays?
Proper hand hygiene is widely acknowledged as the best way to prevent hospital acquired infections (HAIs) (more on that here), yet so many facilities struggle with it. One challenge that almost all facilities have to deal with (whether they rea...
Technology-Assisted Observation Can Improve Hand Hygiene
Healthcare providers know that hand hygiene is key to reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). And yet, despite that knowledge and countless hours of staff education – not to mention investments in cute posters and handwashing systems – ...
The Impossible Duality of Direct Observation
Some claim that Direct Observation (D.O.) is the best method to both (A) measure, and (B) change hand hygiene behavior. We assert that D.O. can do one or the other, but not both. (And it does neither particularly effectively, which we’ll get to lat...
Direct Observation: the “Fool’s Gold” Standard
fool’s gold (ˈfo͞olz ˌɡōld): something that you think will be very pleasant or successful but is not. Direct observation is no longer the gold standard in hand hygiene performance monitoring. Direct observation is, rather, the “Fool’s ...
This Process Reduces HAIs by 75%
There’s no question that hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a challenge for medical facilities. All major agencies agree that proper hand hygiene is the cornerstone of infection control. But how can you improve your hospital’s hand hygiene? ...
Healthcare Business Today: New Approach to Hand Hygiene Scores Big in Pilot Project
By Chris Hermann August 1, 2017 Hospital Experiences a 74 Percent Reduction in C. diff in 6 Months There is little argument today that proper hand hygiene by clinical staff reduces the spread of Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs). The challenge is ...
Hand Hygiene Solutions Attract Attention at APIC
For Clean Hands – Safe Hands, APIC 2017 brought new energy and inspiration to our team. We met so many Infection Control professionals that share our passion for reducing HAIs. This year, more than previously, everyone agreed that direct observatio...
Bucking the Status Quo to Reduce HAIs
There are no quick fixes for Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs). Hand hygiene is the cornerstone for reducing HAIs, but improving those practices is not an easy task for hospitals, especially for those that continue to use traditional methods. The i...