Analyzing the Effectiveness of Hand Washing Programs in Reducing Hospital Infection Rates

Abstract

A total of 27 articles were included in this review, and data were extracted and reviewed using a data matrix. A qualitative synthesis was employed. Findings showed that hand washing can be effective in reducing hospital-acquired infections, but the behavior is complex and multifaceted, and there is no one universally effective intervention. Several specific hand hygiene interventions designed to improve compliance that were related to decreases in infection rates were identified. These components for success included effective educational strategies, access to continual resources, integrating the hand hygiene program into an organizational culture, and dissemination of results. (Mouajou et al., 2022)

The aim of the study was to analyze the effectiveness of hand washing programs in reducing hospital-acquired infections and identify the components of a successful hand hygiene behavior intervention. An integrative review was employed in this study and articles were retrieved from three databases: PubMed, CINAHL, and Academic Search Premier. Searches were initially conducted using key terms such as hand washing, hand hygiene, and nosocomial infections. Articles were included if the populations were hospital patients and healthcare workers, the interventions involved hand hygiene behavior, and the outcomes were changes in infection rates or compliance with the intervention. Primary and secondary articles were selected using additional search criteria, and articles were critically appraised and classified according to the level of evidence.