Ways to Reduce HAIs Incidents

Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs), or infections patients get while being treated for other conditions, are responsible for 99,000 deaths and $35 billion in additional medical costs annually in the U.S.  Despite the scope of the problem, medical researchers agree on a simple and cost-effective method to prevent up to 70% of HAIs: good hand hygiene.  This article describes the attempt of a 274-bed acute care hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, to eliminate HAIs after experiencing four instances of HAIs (one per quarter) in 2014, with baseline hand hygiene compliance of 57%.  Education was provided to address four opportunities: hospital staff underwent training to replace handshakes with fist-bumps; patients were instructed to ask of anyone entering their room, “Did you wash your hands?”; nursing, ancillary, and medical staff were trained in proper hand washing techniques; and staff were trained in hands-free use of door pulls in all patient rooms.  Certain staff received training to anonymously observe hand-washing opportunities on all units to assess compliance with hygiene protocols.  Staff who performed acceptable hand hygiene were immediately rewarded; staff who failed their hygiene opportunity were politely corrected and educated on the importance of hand hygiene.  Results showed that over a three-month period, compliance to hand hygiene protocols increased to 93% (N = 637, p = .05) with zero instances of HAIs, representing savings to the facility in the first quarter of over $120,000.  The results of this study show that increasing awareness and reinforcing positive behaviors among healthcare workers and patients are practical and inexpensive ways to reduce the incidence of HAIs in hospitals.