Background: Hand hygiene [HH] is the single most, least expensive preventive measure of HAI emphasized by World Health Organisation [WHO] towards patient safety, which is neglected many a time due to lack of awareness, knowledge and resources. Improving HH compliance and monitoring the adherence rates play an important role in infection prevention. Stratified trend analysis of hand hygiene compliance helps in implementation of targeted interventions.
Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted for 5 years involving 17 high risk areas by trained observers. Android application was used to collect the data on hand hygiene adherence, both complete and partial. Detailed trend analysis of profession, location and moment specific compliance was performed to identify specific patterns and areas for improvement.
Results: 1,62,278 hand hygiene opportunities were recorded during the entire study period, with maximum moments recorded in surgical speciality [50.6%]. Paediatric speciality demonstrated maximum compliance throughout the entire study period. Nurses were more compliant to complete hand hygiene adherence through the entire study period though increasing trend of compliance was seen among all professions. Moment 3 had been maximally followed with a notable upward trend in all 5 moments.
Conclusion: To conclude, hand hygiene is a basic yet powerful practice that promotes safety for both patients and healthcare workers at minimal cost. Conducting a stratified trend analysis of hand hygiene audit data is crucial for identifying specific areas of improvement and informing targeted interventions to address gaps in compliance to strengthen infection prevention.
Keywords: Hand hygiene, Trend, Adherence rate, Moments, Compliance.
