Reference
Authors
Brink, AJ., Messina, AP., Maslo, C., Swart, K., Chunnilall D., & van den Bergh, D. (2019). Implementing a multi-faceted framework for proprietorship of hand hygiene compliance in a network of South African hospitals: leveraging the Ubuntu philosophy. Journal of Hospital Infection, 104 (4), 404-413. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2019.11.004
Summary
Background
Given the lack of hospital-wide ownership and shortage of nurses, the ideal model for large-scale implementation of hand hygiene (HH) behaviour change in low- and middle-income countries is unknown.
Aim
The aim of the multi-modal strategy was to engender hospital accountability for HH compliance.
Methods
The quasi-experimental study was conducted in 50 South African hospitals (November 2015 to July 2017) and involved five overlapping phases: executive governance and corporate behaviour change; group-wide systematic situational analysis; development of an electronic-assisted direct-observed data collection and analysis application; launch and implementation; and accountable governance. Measurement of intra- and interhospital variance to six HH opportunities was calculated and data compliance dashboards were e-mailed weekly to hospital leadership teams to provide feedback of recorded HH compliance and behaviour to frontline teams. Baseline comparison (July 2016) of compliance was compared versus post-implementation (July 2017).
Findings
Baseline HH compliance of 60% was documented for 16% (8/50) of hospitals, whereas overall, 48% (24/50) of hospitals demonstrated a significant improvement (P < 0.01). Over the 13-month observation period, 523,422 observations were recorded with a mean rate of 277 223 observations per 1000 patient-days. The group mean composite compliance improved by 7.8% (P < 0.01) from 77.4% 12.8 to 85.2% 8.8 between July 2016 and July 2017, respectively.
Conclusion
Implementation of a multi-faceted HH model in a large, diverse group of South African hospitals translated into changes in the organizational systems and accountability, standardized HH compliance management and feedback that led to HH proprietorship.