Hand hygiene has been recognized as the most important means of preventing the transmission
of infection, and great emphasis has been placed on ways to improve hand hygiene compliance
by health care workers (HCWs). Despite increasing evidence that patients’ flora and
the hospital environment are the primary source of many infections, little effort
has been directed toward involving patients in their own hand hygiene. Most previous
work involving patients has included patients as monitors or auditors of hand hygiene
practices by their HCWs. This article reviews the evidence on the benefits of including
patients more directly in hand hygiene initiatives, and uses the framework of patient-centered
safety initiatives to provide recommendations for the timing and implementation of
patient hand hygiene protocols. It also addresses key areas for further research,
practice guideline development, and implications for training of HCWs.
Key Words
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Article info
Footnotes
Publication of this article was made possible by GOJO Industries, Inc.
Conflict of interest: T.L., M.-B.C., and S.A. received an honorarium or educational grant from GOJO Industries for their participation in the Consortium. J.B. is an employee of GOJO Industries.
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© 2012 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
