Personal hand gel for improved hand hygiene compliance on the regional anesthesia team

Purpose: Hand hygiene reduces healthcare-associated infections, and several recent publications have examined hand hygiene in the perioperative period. Our institution’s policy is to perform hand hygiene before and after patient contact. However, observation suggests poor compliance. This is a retrospective review of a quality improvement database showing the effect of personal gel dispensers on perioperative hand hygiene compliance on a regional anesthesia team. Methods: Healthcare providers assigned to the Acute Pain Service were observed for compliance with hand hygiene policy during a quality improvement initiative. Provider type and compliance were prospectively recorded in a database. Team members were then given a personal gel dispensing device and again observed for compliance. We have retrospectively reviewed this database to determine the effects of this intervention. Results: Of the 307 encounters observed, 146 were prior to implementing personal gel dispensers. Compliance was 34 %. Pre- and post-patient contact compliances were 23 and 43 %, respectively. For 161 encounters after individual gel dispensers were provided, compliance was 63 %. Pre- and post-patient contact compliances were 53 and 72 %, respectively. Improvement in overall compliance from 34 to 63 % was significant. Conclusion: On the Acute Pain Service, compliance with hand hygiene policy improves when individual sanitation gel dispensing devices are worn on the person.