Background: Proper hand hygiene (HH), which includes sanitizing with alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) (or handwashing with soap and water if ABHR is unavailable), is key for preventing healthcare-associated infections (HCAI), including COVID-19. Understanding drivers of HH is key to improving adherence.
Aim: This study aims to explore drivers and barriers to HH practice at two hospitals in the Dominican Republic in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic to inform development of HH behaviour change interventions.
Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 20 hospital staff during September 2021. We used the COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation, behaviour) model to explore HH experiences and preferences. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analysed using a thematic approach.
Results: A total of 11 parent codes and 27 sub-codes were identified, and 1145 coded segments were analysed. Use of handwashing with soap and water and/or sanitizing with ABHR was reported by all participants; handwashing was generally preferred. Participants expressed knowledge of proper HH methods (capability), but inconsistent supplies and lack of time presented HH challenges (opportunity). Interviewees described practicing HH to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19 and other infections (reflective motivation) or out of habit (automatic motivation).
Discussion: By understanding and addressing underlying factors affecting HH, hospitals can decrease the risk of HCAIs. Our findings suggest that interventions implemented to improve HH in these hospitals should target motivation and opportunity. These findings informed a multimodal intervention to increase ABHR access and implement message-tested communications campaigns; end-point assessments will provide insights into the intervention's impact.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.infpip.2024.100367 | DOI Listing |
J Clin Nurs
December 2024
School of Nursing, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
Aims: To investigate the impact of the nursing practice environment, nurse staffing, working overtime and compliance with hand hygiene standards on hospital-acquired infections.
Design: A multi-source quantitative study.
Methods: Nursing data were collected from selected wards in one hospital between 18 January 2021 and 15 March 2021.
Zhonghua Yu Fang Yi Xue Za Zhi
December 2024
Office of Tianjin Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin300011, China.
To investigate the level of serum-neutralizing antibodies against Coxsackievirus A6 (CVA6) in a healthy population in Tianjin City from 2014 to 2020. From March 2014 to March 2020, 5 492 healthy volunteers were recruited in Tianjin City. The demographic information, personal hygiene habits, living environment hygiene, contact history with hand, foot and mouth disease cases within 6 months before the survey, history of upper respiratory tract infection, and medical history of the subjects were investigated using a self-designed questionnaire.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntimicrob Resist Infect Control
December 2024
Infection Control Team, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong West Cluster, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Background: Hand hygiene is a critical component of infection prevention in healthcare settings. Innovative strategies are required to enhance hand hygiene practices among patients and healthcare workers (HCWs).
Methods: This study was conducted at the Chemotherapy Day Center of Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
Am J Infect Control
December 2024
Center for Research, Practice and Innovation, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, APIC, Arlington, VA.
Background: Hand Hygiene (HH) monitoring is essential for patient and staff safety, but the optimal number of observations remains elusive. This project aimed to determine a statistically comparable number below the current standard of 100 to 200 per month per unit.
Methods: HH observations from various hospitals were grouped in strata by facility, unit, and month, then resampled into sets of 25, 50, 100, and 150 for comparison with 200.
Antimicrob Resist Infect Control
December 2024
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium.
Background: As part of the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile handwashing stations (mHWS) were deployed in healthcare facilities in low-resource settings. We assessed mHWS in hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for contamination with Gram-negative bacteria.
Methods: Water and soap samples of in-use mHWS in hospitals in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi were quantitatively cultured for Gram-negative bacteria which were tested for antibiotic susceptibility.
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