WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care (Advanced Draft 2005): A Summary
Best practice, Systematic review
Abstract:
In May 2004 the Fifty Seventh World Health Assembly approved the creation of an international alliance to improve patient safety as a global initiative and the ‘World Health Alliance for Patient Safety’ was launched in October 2004. ‘The Global Patient Safety Challenge’ a core element of the Alliance has chosen healthcare associated infection as the first Challenge and a key action within this is to promote hand hygiene in healthcare globally as well as at country level. To provide healthcare workers and supporting managers with the best scientific evidence and recommendations to improve practices and reduce healthcare associated infections WHO has developed this document (advanced draft) prepared with the help of more than a 100 international experts and are in testing and implementation phases in different parts of the world. The document outlines: - · The problems of healthcare associated infection worldwide, the economic burden and interventions that are available but not used. · The solutions, overcoming potential barriers and information to support training material and plan implementation strategies · Recommendations which include o When to clean hands, Hand hygiene techniques, selection of hand hygiene agents, use of gloves, motivational programmes and government and institutional responsibilities. · The benefits of improved hand hygiene o Helping to reduce HCAI and cost effectiveness · Implementation strategies to achieve maximum dissemination of the guidelines and to impact on the burden of disease The main goal of the pilot phase is to ensure the feasibility of the Challenge overall and to learn practical lessons in real field situations. The pilot phase results will be reviewed and final version of the document will reflect this analysis. The Alliance is also focusing its actions on the following areas; Patients for Patient Safety; Taxonomy; Research; Solutions for Patient Safety; and Reporting and Learning.
Category:
Control
Management
Prevention
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Summary:
In May 2004 the Fifty Seventh World Health Assembly approved the creation of an international alliance to improve patient safety as a global initiative and the ‘World Health Alliance for Patient Safety’ was launched in October 2004. ‘The Global Patient Safety Challenge’ a core element of the Alliance has chosen healthcare associated infection as the first Challenge and a key action within this is to promote hand hygiene in healthcare globally as well as at country level. To provide healthcare workers and supporting managers with the best scientific evidence and recommendations to improve practices and reduce healthcare associated infections WHO has developed this document (advanced draft) prepared with the help of more than a 100 international experts and are in testing and implementation phases in different parts of the world.The document outlines: -· The problems of healthcare associated infection worldwide, the economic burden and interventions that are available but not used. · The solutions, overcoming potential barriers and information to support training material and plan implementation strategies· Recommendations which includeo When to clean hands, Hand hygiene techniques, selection of hand hygiene agents, use of gloves, motivational programmes and government and institutional responsibilities.· The benefits of improved hand hygiene o Helping to reduce HCAI and cost effectiveness· Implementation strategies to achieve maximum dissemination of the guidelines and to impact on the burden of diseaseThe main goal of the pilot phase is to ensure the feasibility of the Challenge overall and to learn practical lessons in real field situations. The pilot phase results will be reviewed and final version of the document will reflect this analysis. The Alliance is also focusing its actions on the following areas; Patients for Patient Safety; Taxonomy; Research; Solutions for Patient Safety; and Reporting and Learning.
Questions Addressed:
The document provides guidelines for hand hygiene in healthcare as part of the Global Patient Safety Challenge 2005-2006: “Clean Care is Safer Care” which aims to help reduce the large and unfair patient safety gap by concentrating initially on hand hygiene as a primary measure to reduce infection.
Type of Study:
Review, best practice
Methods Valid:
Yes
Methods Valid Detail:
The commitment of the ‘World health Alliance for Patient Safety’ to reduce healthcare associated infection and select hand hygiene as the first challenge has never been undertaken before and has the potential to improve patient safety and save lives.
Results Reliability:
Yes
Problems or Biases:
Pilot phase will ensure the feasibility of the Challenge overall and learn practical lessons for the applicability of the guidelines in real life situation.
Relevant Studies:
Keywords:
hand hygiene patient safety hand washing surgical hand preparation gloves motivational programmes
Reviewer Name:
Sue Wiseman
Reviewer Post:
Nurse Consultant –Infection Control, DH
Reviewer Affiliations:
Member Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens Health Protection Adviser Royal College of Nursing P/T Member Infection Control Nurses Association