Multimodal hand hygiene programmes are an important key to sustainable compliance success. With its Hand Hygiene Evolution Concept, HARTMANN offers a new, comprehensive programme that step by step leads to a sustainable improvement of the hand hygiene behaviour.
THE CHALLENGE OF HAND HYGIENE
From individual initiatives, repeated actions on the occasion of the global hand hygiene day to special campaigns – hospitals undertake a great deal to ensure the quality of hand hygiene and thus infection protection. However, it often proves difficult to increase compliance sustainably with these measures. There is a risk that the hand hygiene compliance increases for a certain time after short-term interventions, but decreases again later on. So, what to do to strengthen the employees’ awareness of correct hand hygiene and trigger a long-term improvement of the compliance?
Practical study results show that poor compliance cannot be reduced to one single cause, but rather to several factors. The reasons are diverse. They range from lack of user acceptance of the hand disinfectant used, inadequate dispenser infrastructure to difficulties to recognise the right moment for hand disinfectant during complex nursing activities.
ADVANTAGES OF MULTIMODAL PROGRAMMES
To counteract these differing causes for insufficient compliance as widely as possible, international initiatives of WHO and the German “Aktion Saubere Hände” (Clean Hands Campaign) recommend implementing multimodal strategies. The determining factor: these hand hygiene programmes not only address one aspect, but target several weak points. A range of studies have proved the success of these programmes.
Nevertheless, however effective multimodal strategies are, their practical realisation is challenging. The implementation of hand hygiene programmes with regular, comprehensive training courses is time-consuming and costly and requires hospitals to use a high level of resources.
One solution to this challenge is the new Evolution Concept from HARTMANN. With its scientifically sound modules and extensive on-site consultation the programme step by step supports long-term compliance improvements.
THE EVOLUTION CONCEPT’S SUCCESS FACTORS AT A GLANCE
- Implemented in daily routine
no one-time campaign character - Individualised approach
every hospital is guided from its individual hand hygiene compliance status - Scientifically sound
modules and measures were developed based on scientific findings# - Personal on-site support
through continuous advice and adaptation of measures to individual conditions and targets - Most modern didactics
sophisticated tools providing high quality in terms of contents and technology