Hand hygiene resources
CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- CDC Hand hygiene guideline
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hand antisepsis reduces the incidence of healthcare-associated infections. The Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings published October 25, 2002 by the CDC provides specific recommendations to improve hand hygiene and reduce transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to patients and personnel in healthcare settings. The guideline includes reviews of new studies of the efficacy of alcohol-based hand rubs and the low incidence of dermatitis associated with their use. In addition, recent studies demonstrating the value of multidisciplinary hand hygiene promotion programs and the potential role of alcohol-based hand rubs in improving hand-hygiene practices are summarized. The guideline includes recommendations on related issues such the use of surgical hand antiseptics, hand lotions or creams, jewelry, gloving, and wearing of artificial fingernails. Ultimately, the CDC urges that adherence to recommended hand hygiene practices should become part of a culture of patient safety.- Download a summary of the Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings. (.doc) (20.5 KB)
- Download the complete 494-page Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings. (.pdf) (495 KB)
- Download CDC hand hygiene fact sheet (.doc) (22 KB)
- CDC Slides, posters, buttons
CDC provides educational slides, posters, and buttons to help educate staff and promote hand hygiene. Go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/materials.htm - CDC - Patient Admission Video
This new video developed by the CDC that demonstrates how patients can approach staff about hand hygiene in a non-confrontational manner. This free, five-minute video focuses on patient and staff attitudes, and shows how patients can comfortably ask their caregiver to wash or clean their hands before providing hands-on care if they haven't seen them do so. This patient and staff training tool is ideally suited for viewing on public healthcare broadcasting sites throughout the facility, such as lobbies or waiting rooms. This video, available in English and Spanish, teaches two key points to hospital patients and visitors to help prevent infections: the importance of practicing hand hygiene while in the hospital, and that it is appropriate to ask or remind their healthcare providers to practice hand hygiene as well.
Modeled after the video that airline passengers are required to view prior to take-off on a flight, this new video is intended to be shown to patients upon admission to the hospital. The goal of the video is to inform patients at the beginning of their hospital stay about what they can do to help prevent infections throughout the duration of their stay.
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SafetyStore Podcast - Patient Admission Video |
- CDC, IHI, APIC, SHEA "How-To-Guide"
A How-To-Guide to help boost hand hygiene compliance to 100 percent using behavior-modification techniques, "best practice" guidelines, and rigorous program compliance was launched in 2006 by the CDC in collaboration with the nonprofit Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and two leading infection-control professional societies – the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). The guide promotes multidisciplinary team approach and contains numerous resources, including a questionnaire for surveying clinical staff of their knowledge of hand hygiene.- Hand hygiene tool (.pdf) (230 KB)
- CDC - New interactive training course
CDC's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (CDC/DHQP) has developed a new resource for training healthcare professionals: Hand Hygiene Interactive Training Course. The course links to the recently released Patient Admission Video Hand Hygiene Saves Lives featured above. The interactive course permits the healthcare professional to learn at their own pace and review key concepts of hand hygiene and other standard precautions to prevent healthcare-associated infections.
CHICA - Canada
Community And Hospital Infection Control Association - Canada
Links to posters, educational teaching aids, hand hygiene procedures and more.
Hand hygiene measurement and bench marking program
McGuckin Methods International (MMI) offers an evidence-based program for increasing and sustaining hand hygiene in any healthcare facility for both in-patient and out-patient sites. For more information or to view sample monthly reports and patient empowerment materials, go to Hand Hygiene Reports or send an email to Dr. Maryanne McGuckin.
- Hand Hygiene Reports: http://www.hhreports.com
Henry The Hand – Champion Handwasher
This Web site uses music, cartoons, coloring books, posters and other materials to engage children and families to promote handwashing and good hygiene habits, such as, not coughing on hands or touching your eyes.
Hand Hygiene Resource Center - of Saint Raphael
The Hand Hygiene Resource Center is a Web site developed by the Saint Raphael Healthcare System and John M. Boyce, M.D., to promote hand hygiene in healthcare and contains links, slide presentations, annotated bibiographies, and other resources to educate both clinical and support staff.
Joint Commission - 2009 Hand hygiene compliance guide
The Joint Commission has released a guide to help health care practitioners assess compliance with hand hygiene guidelines, "Measuring Hand Hygiene Adherence: Overcoming the Challenges". The monograph includes examples of assessment tools submitted through the Consensus Measurement in Hand Hygiene project collaboration with infection prevention and control organizations. The monograph is intended to broaden understanding of the issues and provide practical solutions for strengthening measurement and improvement activities.
Mayo Clinic
Multiple materials including tips on hand washing “Do's and Don'ts”
Minnesota Department of Health – Hand Hygiene
This site provides tips for basic hand hygiene, teaching hand hygiene in schools, materials for food handlers and professionals, posters and other print materials.
Safe Care Campaign
The goal of the Safe Care Campaign is to help prevent healthcare- and community-acquired infections through awareness, education and better practices and its Web site has a full spectrum of materials , including streaming videos on hand hygiene. The campaign was formed by Victoria and Armando Nahum after three members of their family developed healthcare-associated infections, including their son who died of his infection.
University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
Interactive site that describes a successful program for hand hygiene compliance in graphic presentations including tools, posters, literature and more. The site describes a hand hygiene program in Switzerland using primarily alcohol-based hand rubs. Go to:
Veterans Affairs - Posters
This site provides posters as educational materials to promote hand hygiene.
WHO Hand hygiene guidelines 2009
WHO - World Alliance for Patient Safety continues to promote its Global Patient Safety Challenge initiated in 2005 - 2006. "Clean Care is Safer Care." The final version of the comprehensive hand hygiene guidelines were tested in all global regions before being finalized.
- WHO Hand hygiene guidelines (.pdf) (4.3 MB)