WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care - Safe Care ...

<strong>WHO</strong> GUIDELINES ON HAND HYGIENE IN HEALTH CARE
24.
Hand hygiene research agenda
Although the number of published studies dealing with hand hygiene has increased considerably in recent
years, many questions regarding hand hygiene products and strategies for improving HCW compliance with
recommended policies remain unanswered. Table I.24.1 lists a number of areas that should be addressed by
researchers, scientists and clinical investigators. Table I.24.2 includes a series of open questions on specific
unsolved issues that require research activities and field testing. Some of the research questions will be covered
by studies conducted within the framework of the World Alliance for Patient Safety.
Table I.24.1
Hand hygiene research agenda
Area
Education and
promotion
In both developed
and developing countries
Survey on perceptions among HCWs regarding indications for hand hygiene
Identify more effective ways to educate HCWs regarding patient-care activities that
can result in hand contamination and cross-transmission
Assess the key determinants of hand hygiene behaviour and promotion among the
different populations of HCWs
Evaluate the impact of different definitions and approaches to the “Five moments”
Explore avenues to implement hand hygiene promotion programmes in
undergraduate courses
More focus on developing
countries
Test different strategies for
hand hygiene promotion in
developing countries
Conduct cost–benefit,
cost utility, and cost–
effectiveness analyses of
improving hand hygiene in
developing countries
Study the impact of religion and culture on population-based education on hand
hygiene behaviour
Identify effective methods and models for patient participation in the promotion of
hand hygiene compliance among HCWs in different cultural or social contexts
Document benefits and disadvantages of patient empowerment/participation in the
promotion of hand hygiene in health-care settings, in particular, its impact on hand
hygiene compliance
Implement and evaluate the impact of the different components of multimodal
programmes to promote hand hygiene
Ascertain the impact of social marketing on hand hygiene compliance
Develop and evaluate methods to obtain management support
Evaluate hand hygiene practices in traditional medicines and explore the possibility
of promoting hand hygiene among practitioners
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