The Efficacy of Patient-Centered Hand Hygiene in the Hospital Setting: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Hand hygiene and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers are recognized as the best means to prevent the spread of infection in the hospital setting. According to the World Health Organization (World Health Organization, 2009), an average of 8.7% of hospitalized patients develop a nosocomial infection during their stay. While emphasis has been placed on healthcare workers and hand hygiene compliance, little effort has been directed toward patient participation. The objective is to analyze and synthesize results from various studies to determine the efficacy of hand hygiene among patient populations. The methods include using PubMed, MEDLINE, PubMed and Cochrane Library to uncover documents and reports regarding healthcare-associated infections, infection prevention, the use of hand hygiene, and patient compliance. Twenty-one unique studies have been analyzed for this review. Current progress shows a lack of research involving patient participation in hand hygiene despite evidence that patient compliance increases overall compliance of hand hygiene among healthcare workers and decreases the incidence of hospital-associated infection among hospital patients. Observational studies suggest that patients see themselves as an important role in helping healthcare providers to comply with HHP, but few studies implement hand hygiene interventions among patient populations. Any attempt at promoting patient safety should include all stakeholders, including patients and hospital visitors. Little research has been done to evaluate the efficacy of patient-centered hand hygiene despite evidence that hand hygiene significantly decreases nosocomial infection among patient populations. A patient-focused hand hygiene program may be as effective at decreasing the spread of infection.