An Investigation into Effective Hand Hygiene Compliance in the Radiology Department - Research Proposal Example

According to the World Health Organization manual on the prevention of Hospital-Acquired infection (2002), infections acquired in health care settings are among the major causes of death and increased morbidity among hospitalized patients. Significantly, nosocomial infections add a burden both for the patient and for hospital health. A prevalence survey conducted under the auspices of WHO in 55 hospitals of 14 countries representing four WHO Regions (Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia and Western Pacific) showed an average of 8.7% of hospital patients had nosocomial infections (WHO, 2002).  This alarming number has led to the proposed study to prevent nosocomial infection just by the simple hand hygiene compliance of hospital staff specifically in the radiology department that comes in direct contact with mostly respiratory-case patients that could incur high rates of transmission.  According to Delaney and Gunderman (2008), millions of radiologic examinations are performed in a year and that the radiology department has a great opportunity to control nosocomial infections just by attending to hand washing which according to the Center for Disease Control is the single most effective way of combating nosocomial infections. 

The aim of this study is to investigate the rate of compliance of hand hygiene techniques in the radiology department as well as the factors that can affect its compliance.  The study will aid in the improvement of compliance to hand hygiene in the radiology department by identifying factors that affect its compliance and making ways to improve on these notes.  The proposed methodology will be based on an extensive literature survey via a search strategy by identifying researches, studies and journals that state compliance with hand hygiene in the radiologic department.