DebMed Announces Results of 2015 Survey on Hand Hygiene

DebMed® has announced the results of its 4th annual survey on the state of healthcare hand hygiene compliance. Results from more than 850 healthcare professionals throughout North America show that while improved methods for gathering reliable data with electronic hand hygiene compliance monitoring are known to contribute to increased hand hygiene compliance, competing healthcare priorities and budgets still hinder the widespread adoption of these technologies.

 

According to data gathered from more than 650 infection preventionists, nurses, and other healthcare leaders in the U.S., and more than 200 in Canada, the state of healthcare hand hygiene compliance and compliance reporting has remained consistent over the past year. Direct observation (DO) and secret shoppers still remain the primary methods used to measure and report hand hygiene compliance, while approximately 90% of respondents believe that the Hawthorne Effect over-inflates compliance rates.  Further contradictions reveal that more than 80% of respondents are not extremely satisfied with their data, yet only a very small percentage (1.6% in the U.S. and 4% in Canada) are using electronic monitoring for hand hygiene compliance. Taking that a step further, the contradictions are compounded by the fact that 76% of respondents in the U.S. and  67% in Canada believe electronic monitoring of hand hygiene compliance to be more accurate (Table 1).

 

Table 1.

Respondents who:

U.S.

Canada

Use manual methods of direct observation or secret shoppers as the primary method to measure and report hand hygiene compliance at their facility.

98%

91%

Believe the Hawthorne Effect overinflates compliance rates

88%

91%

Are not extremely satisfied with the data they report

79%

89%

Use electronic monitoring as the primary method to measure and report hand hygiene compliance at their facility.

1.6%

4.4%

Believe electronic hand hygiene compliance monitoring to be a more accurate option than direct observation

76%

66%

 

 

“Healthcare professionals working in infection prevention, nursing and patient safety are an informed and highly educated audience, looking to make positive change in a highly regulated, budget-intense healthcare environment,” said Didier Bouton, president of DebMed. “Step one is awareness; knowledge of better options in hand hygiene to help healthcare facilities reduce costly and unnecessary hospital-acquired infections. And we believe we are on the brink of step two—a real movement for a significant shift in healthcare around hand hygiene measurement.”

 

Change on the horizon

Looking ahead, feedback from the survey shows that change is underfoot. With reports citing that hospital-acquired infections cost healthcare $10 billion each year, hospital leadership is acknowledging a need for focus and change. Additionally, new penalties are in place in the U.S. and increasing through 2018; all four CMS programs include HAI-related measures. These factors likely contributed to the increase in C-suite awareness and action indicated by survey respondents (Table 2).

 

Table 2.

Respondents who:

U.S.

Canada

Say their CEO would mention increased hand hygiene compliance as one of the top five priorities on which their organization is focused.

60%

82%

Have or are currently considering an electronic hand hygiene compliance monitoring system

36%

28%

Of those currently considering a purchase, have a budget—or are planning to include a budget—allocated to the purchase of an electronic hand hygiene monitoring system

79%

89%

 

“Healthcare is a business focused on prevention and positive patient outcomes, and from a business perspective and a patient safety and wellness issue, a focus on improved hand hygiene compliance monitoring and reporting is a necessity,” said Carrie L. Howard-Canning, associate vice president of patient care operations at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital. “At CVPH, electronic hand hygiene compliance monitoring is a foundational element of our infection prevention program. Having real time, accurate, 24/7 data from the DebMed® GMS™ allows us to improve our quality of care. All of our leaders understand and support this philosophy.”

 

Source: DebMed®