Mrs Kylie Fomiatti1
1CAHS, Perth, Australia
Biography:
Kylie is an experienced Clinical Nurse Specialist with over 14 years working in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC); specialising in leading innovative hand hygiene programs. She is passionate about safety and quality, using research to drive best practice, having recently completed a master’s degree in IPC to advance her knowledge.
Abstract:
Problem
Sub optimal hand hygiene (HH) compliance is linked with healthcare associated infections (HAI). If HH compliance falls below the 80% benchmark, healthcare facilities are required to develop an action plan for improvement. Currently, facilities develop their own ad hoc action plans, and no universal, evidence-based HH action plan template exists.
Solution
We developed an evidence-based HH action plan in response to suboptimal HH compliance in a Paediatric Critical Care (PCC) unit at a quaternary paediatric hospital. A comprehensive literature review was completed to identify evidence-based strategies to improve HH compliance. Three strategies were selected for implementation: 1) appointment of local HH Champions to provide real-time peer feedback, 2) using data to leverage change using poster reports, and 3) targeted education sessions. These strategies supported the development of an action plan template which was piloted in PCC, then implemented hospital wide.
Results
Implementation of the action plan from April 2024-2026 resulted in an overall increased HH compliance of 12% for PCC and 5% for the hospital. Nine departments and key healthcare worker (HCW) groups below the benchmark, increased compliance to achieve or exceed the benchmark, with Radiologists achieving a 29% increase. Overall Medical Practitioner compliance increased by 13%.
Conclusion
Implementation of this evidence-based action plan was an effective approach to improving overall HH compliance and meeting benchmark requirements, while further development of strategies to increase specific HCWs compliance continues. This tool could be scaled for use at other hospitals to improve HH and reduce the risk of HAI.