Hospitals are adopting direct observation, education and creative signage initiatives to increase hand washing among staff, according to an article on the CleanLink website.
Their efforts are paying off, the article said. Environmental services departments are seeing an upswing in hand-hygiene compliance rates, as well as a positive attitude from staff members whose hand-hygiene habits are under surveillance.
At Missouri's Belton Regional Medical Center in Belton hand-washing compliance rates for July 2014 were at 97 percent. A group of employees are monitored on a monthly basis, and if someone is non-compliant, personnel take immediate action.
This information is shared with the infection control practitioner, who then follows up with the department.
Environmental services personnel also follow up with some form of education to review hand-washing procedures.
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