Provincial Hand Hygiene Program

Hand Hygiene Survey

Last year, the Provincial Hand Hygiene Working Group conducted a hand hygiene survey across all the health authorities. The survey had a great response rate, with 13,422 participants. There is now a second part to the survey, and your participation is needed one more time -- even if you didn’t take part in the survey last year! Your responses are important, as they will be used to improve local and provincial hand cleaning programs!

 Take me to the Provincial Hand Hygiene Survey

Reports and Guidelines

Best Practices

Provincial Best Practices for Hand Hygiene Guidelines (Published by the BC Ministry of Health, July 2012)

Compliance Rates

	Feb 2013: Quarterly Update on hand cleaning compliance: Q3 of 2012/13
	Jan 2013: Quarterly Update on hand cleaning compliance: Q2 of 2012/13
	Sept 2012: Quarterly Update on hand hygiene compliance: Q1 of 2012/13
	July 2012: Annual Report on hand hygiene compliance within BC acute care facilities (Fiscal Year 2011/2012)

Perception Survey

Summary of provincial hand hygiene perception survey results

About the Provincial Hand Hygiene Program

There is increasing awareness of the importance of hand hygiene (HH), not only to protect patients but to protect the health of healthcare workers (HCW). In response to an Office of the Auditor General review on hand hygiene programs in healthcare, the Provincial Hand Hygiene Working Group (PHHWG) was formed with the support of the Ministry of Health Services and the BC Health Operations Council.

The Working Group

The PHHWG is composed of representatives from each of the health authorities (HA), the Ministry of Health, the BC Patient Safety and Quality Council (BCPSQC), and the Provincial Infection Control Network of BC (PICNet).  

Aim

The group has been tasked with developing a mandatory province-wide hand hygiene program for the health authorities and assisting in its implementation for the individual health authorities. Download the two-page backgrounder.

Research

With funding from WorkSafeBC, a research project will be conducted from November 2011 to November 2013. The goal of the research is to:

• systematically document the creation and implementation of the provincial HH program, with emphasis on the barriers and promoters to its success,
• examine the effect of the program on HCW HH compliance (through HH audit results),
• assess the impact of the program on HCW perceptions of a healthy work environment, and
• ascertain the impact of a HH program on worker health. 

For more information on the research project, please contact Saiful Islam, research project manager.

Survey

A survey was conducted in January 2012 to collect baseline data on healthcare workers' perceptions of hand hygiene. All BC health authorities asked that their healthcare workers participate. The results were published in September 2012; you can view a PowerPoint summary of the results.

A second survey, to see how perceptions have changed since the hand hygiene campaign commenced, will be conducted in April 2013.

Auditing

Audits for hand hygiene compliance focus on before and after contact with either the patient or the patient’s environment. Each health authority audits their healthcare workers' hand hygiene slightly differently, depending on the resources available; however, they all collect the same basic information.

The compliance rate is derived by dividing the number of compliant hand hygiene opportunities (before and after contact with the patient or patient environment) by the number of total hand hygiene opportunities (before and after contact with the patient or patient environment).

% = compliant opportunities / total opportunities

During the fiscal year 2011-2012, hand hygiene compliance averaged 61% before contact with the patient or patient environment, and 76% after contact with the patient or patient environment.

Timeline

2007	Auditor General reviews infection control in BC, and notes HH as area for improvement
2007-2010	Several HAs individually develop regional HH programs
Spring 2010	Auditor General requests HAs to self-assess HH programs
Fall 2010	PHHWG formed
April 2011	First quarter HH audit results collected using standardized reporting
August 2011	WorkSafeBC research grant awarded
December 2011 – January 2012	Interviews with HAs about their HH programs
January 2012	Provincial Hand Hygiene Perception Survey sent out to healthcare workers throughout BC
July 2012	First provincial report on hand hygiene compliance within acute care facilities
Fall 2012	Dissemination of perception survey results
September 2012	Hand Hygiene Online Education Module to be rolled out across health authorities
March/April 2013	Second Hand Hygiene Perception Survey
April 2013	Hand hygiene program to be launched in Long Term care facilities

Links to:

Hand Hygiene Resources

Infection Control Activities and Educational Resources (including Hand Hygiene)

Infection Control Two-Pagers (which include Hand Hygiene information)