A study in the American Journal of Infection Control found that electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems don’t work unless they exist within a healthcare culture that makes proper hand hygiene a priority, according to an article on the Infection Control Today website.
It’s unclear whether a culture needs to use EHHMS at all, according to investigators with Widener University.
Consistent and constant messaging and staff empowerment as key drivers of success, according to the study.
One facility reported success with traditional hand hygiene monitoring techniques, using patient surveys and direct observation through an intradepartmental infection control team, and attributed their high rates of hand hygiene compliance to their robust hand hygiene culture.