When healthcare workers are shown pictures of bacterial colonies similar to those found on their skin, hand-washing compliance increases, according to an article on the Becker's Infection Control and Clinical Quality website.
The new research was presented June 11 at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology's 43rd annual conference.
"Hospital staff wanted to wash their hands after looking at the book and picturing similar contamination on their own skin," Ashley Gregory, an infection prevention specialist who co-led the project.
The units involved in the study demonstrated increased compliance between 11 percent and 46 percent.
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