Simplified Handwashing Steps Help Reduce Sickness-Related Absenteeism for Kids
A simplified handwashing routine, with five steps instead of seven, helps to reduce sickness-related absenteeism for students with mild intellectual disability, according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
The study was conducted in two special education schools in Hong Kong. Researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University developed a 12-week handwashing intervention which reduced the World Health Organization's seven-step handwashing technique to five steps by combining two of the steps (palm-to-palm and palm-to-palm with fingers interlaced) and omitting one (wrist-rubbing).
The researchers compared hand hygiene improvement measurements between the intervention (five-step method) and control (seven-step method) groups after the implementation of the simplified program using fluorescent stain test photos to analyze the results. The pre- to post-test difference in the intervention school (+1.03, P <.001) was 212 percent greater than the difference in the control school where the seven-step guideline was followed (+0.34, P = .001).
Sickness-related absenteeism was also reduced by 40 percent more in the intervention school (0.0167) compared with the control school (0.028).
"It is very important in the public health agenda to standardize a handwashing program for school teachers and school nurses to teach vulnerable high-risk groups about handwashing procedures and ultimately to prevent the spread of germs in the school community," the researchers concluded.
The intervention consisted of the following: (1) the simplified five-step handwashing technique, including demonstrations and return demonstrations; (2) a handwashing song; (3) a video for behavior modeling; (4) a poster giving visual cues for the five steps of the handwashing procedure; (5) a reward card system for behavioral reinforcement; and (6) a validated handwashing checklist for concordance observation.
Source: Elsevier Health Sciences
Tackling Health Care-Associated Infections: SHEA’s Bold 10-Year Research Plan to Save Lives
December 12th 2024Discover SHEA's visionary 10-year plan to reduce HAIs by advancing infection prevention strategies, understanding transmission, and improving diagnostic practices for better patient outcomes.
Point-of-Care Engagement in Long-Term Care Decreasing Infections
November 26th 2024Get Well’s digital patient engagement platform decreases hospital-acquired infection rates by 31%, improves patient education, and fosters involvement in personalized care plans through real-time interaction tools.
The Leapfrog Group and the Positive Effect on Hospital Hand Hygiene
November 21st 2024The Leapfrog Group enhances hospital safety by publicizing hand hygiene performance, improving patient safety outcomes, and significantly reducing health care-associated infections through transparent standards and monitoring initiatives.
The Importance of Hand Hygiene in Clostridioides difficile Reduction
November 18th 2024Clostridioides difficile infections burden US healthcare. Electronic Hand Hygiene Monitoring (EHHMS) systems remind for soap and water. This study evaluates EHHMS effectiveness by comparing C difficile cases in 10 hospitals with CMS data, linking EHHMS use to reduced cases.
