Healthcare Worker Hand Hygiene Compliance in QLD: The pandemic impact
Ivy Oblenda-GabatanKendall ChurchKathryn O’Brien , 1Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Background
Hand hygiene plays a crucial role in preventing transmission of infection and was a key prevention strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. International border closures were also a leading strategy for containment of SARS CoV-2. Re-opening borders resulted in increased pressure on healthcare systems and may affect with hand hygiene compliance behaviours.
Method
This study analysed observational hand hygiene compliance data submitted by Queensland Health facilities before, during and after the closure of international borders and exempted audit reporting periods using 2-way ANOVA and T-test. This study also investigated adherence to the National Hand Hygiene Initiative program and hand hygiene compliance before, during and after international border closures.
Results
Hand hygiene compliance varied across Health Care Worker (HCW) streams. Findings suggest an increase in compliance amongst administrative officers and invasive technicians during international border closures while other HCW streams maintained a steady compliance rate demonstrating an ongoing commitment to this infection control strategy.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique context for assessing hand hygiene compliance among HCW. In this study, the international border closure, initial heightened awareness, public health campaigns, and availability of resources were associated with increased HCW hand hygiene compliance among Queensland Health HCW. International border closures may have initially led to a positively influenced hand hygiene compliance. Future research should explore long-term barriers and issues for hand hygiene compliance and identify strategies to improve and sustain compliance rates.
Biography
I am a Clinical Nurse Consultant -IPC for Communicable Disease Branch of Queensland Department of Health. After having trained and registered as RN in Philippines, New Zealand and Australia, I completed the Graduate Certificate in IPC from Griffith University and Master in Infectious Disease Intelligence from UNSW. My 31 years of experience in various nursing specialties including 10 years in infection prevention and control is focused on education, immunisation, outbreak response, public health, research, surveillance, hand hygiene and epidemiology. Aside from it, I am also a member of the WHO GOARN since 2019 and an ACIPC advance level credentialed ICP.