Hands Hygiene and Hospital-Acquired Infections Problem - Essay Example

PROJECT PROPOSAL: HANDS HYGIENE AND HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTIONS Name: Institution: Course: Tutor: Date: Abstract Hand hygiene has been pointed out to be quite important in handling patients not only in home settings but also within the healthcare facilities as the patients go to seek for medical care (Cantrell, 2008; Gebhart, 2012). Hand hygiene has therefore received much attention owing to the reason that it presents the most common way through which pathogens are transmitted from a host person to another person especially within the health care settings. Proper hand hygiene therefore presents the most important feature while preventing the spread of antibiotic resistance as well as pathogens within hospitals and such other health care facilities (Harris, et al, 2011; Sullivan, 2014). With this being a retrospective project, no questionnaires will be involved (no human involvement) but only collection/evaluation of pre and post data from the infection/risk and quality department within the sampled acute care center. Introduction Any or all actions that are meant to clean hands by any person may describe what hand hygiene refers to. It involves such practices as washing hands using water as well as soap or even the application of non-water antimicrobial rub on hands as are all meant to reduce if not eliminate all microorganisms on the hands (Corrigan, 2013; Medvick, 2008). ‘Hospital acquired infection’ (HAI) refers to the infection that a patient may be diagnosed with after admission of any form of medical attendance within the medical facilities and as such it implies that the infection was not present as the patient came into the facility for the health service(s) (Weinstock, 2007). It must therefore be acquired through health care delivery and hands hygiene has been pointed out as the greatest contributor to such outcomes (Cantrell, 2013). Health care facilities and providers have therefore a mandatory responsibility of ensuring that hand hygiene is promoted in order to curb the losses in life and costs associated with the resultant infections from poor hand hygiene within these medical facilities. This paper therefore focuses on the effects of poor hand hygiene by healthcare providers on HAI with special attention on compliance by health care providers and main factors that could explain the poor hygiene within health facilities amidst the extensive and serious campaigns on hand hygiene within these facilities (Cantrell, 2014). Significance of the practice Although this topic has been addressed intensively over years, little studies have been directed towards implications of compliance of health care providers on observing hands hygiene. Many factors contribute to the levels of hands hygiene observed by persons although few studies if at all there are have been committed to such an evaluation (Kaiser & Sandhu, 2006). The significance of the practice of observing hands hygiene cannot be over emphasized and this explains the significance of this study. Besides contribution to addition on the already available literature on essence of observing hands hygiene for healthcare providers in controlling transmission of pathogens to patients, this study intends to serve as a quality assessment tool for the good health care practices. While observing right hands hygiene, the health care providers do not only improve on the health of the patents but also minimize on their risk of being infected of the same infection(s) (Ricks, 2007; Rollins, 2008). Besides, intensive campaigns in need of observing high standards of the hands hygiene contribute to minimal costs as are associated with such new infections, which cause even deaths. Project question From the background of this study it is clear that intensive efforts have been put towards ensuring high standards of hand hygiene by health service providers is observed although the compliance to such standards have been under question. This project therefore focuses on answering the question: what factors would explain the poor hand hygiene with the health service providers amidst such intensified campaigns and what are the immediate implications of such towards the spread of hospital-acquired infections? Approach: Project design/method The main approach of this project is a quantitative analysis where empirical analysis of data collected from sampled health facilities will be done. This is a retrospective project, as such; no questionnaires or human involvement will be but only collection and evaluation of pre and post data from the infection/risk and quality department within the sampled acute care center preferably from a local university. Through the data collected, the assessment of levels of compliance against the set standards are to be evaluated and possible reasons for non-compliance identified. Only one university hospital (representing an acute care center will be selected as a sample for the study through stratified sampling. The sampled facility must be chosen on the basis of being acute care settings which would be very instrumental in the study. Population and sampling This project has been shown that it does not rely on human activities such as administration of questionnaires and surveys for collecting the required data but rather, the already stored data on risks and infections from the departments responsible will be used. It is noted that there are many facilities that would be useful in collecting the data necessary for this project but through sampling, this study will only focus on one acute care facility; precisely an acute center and within a university. Random sampling will be useful in choosing the specific facility to be used n collecting data for analysis and evaluation. Although the department stores various data as pertains to risks of infections, this project will precisely target such data of risks and infections as emanate from issues of hands hygiene over a time. Besides, not all data that is available on hands hygiene will be useful for the project hence the need to have sampled representation of the data. Data collection Secondary data from the facilities records will be used entirely. This is because, as a quality improvement program, this project intends to have as minimal human interference as possible and thus the need to use secondary data as have already been captured and stored. The assumption here is that the data collected is unbiased as it was collected prior to this use and that factual information is in the records. Both hard copy records and soft copy records will be sought in order to ensure the security and authenticity of the data to be used. Data and analysis Both analytical and deductive methods will be involved in analyzing the data to be collected, as both qualitative and empirical data will be sought. Percentages means and distribution of the figures will be done to establish the statistical significance of the data in regard to the topic in study while deductions based on past literature will be done on the qualitative data to be collected. Graphical representation of the findings will be involved in order to ease the interpretation and derivation of conclusions for this study. Discussion from literature reviewed The results from this project are likely to point towards much deep rooted issues that constrain the efforts by workers within the health sector from observing the set standards of hand hygiene while attending to patients and which have been attributed to increase in hospital acquired infections. From past literature, the main self-reported factors that contribute to poor or lack of adherence with the standards at all have been pointed out as the following. Irritation as well as dryness on hands that is caused by hand washing agents used Lack of, malfunctioning or inconveniently positioning of sinks within facilities Lack of paper towels for hand drying or even soap or antimicrobial solutions Tight schedules and less time to observe general hygiene before and after attending to a patient Problem with patient-staff ratio/overcrowding due to understaffing Emergency cases where priority is on attending to patients, and General ignorance The products that some health facilities provide to be used in hand wash may be blamed on discouraging staff to observe the high level of hygiene because of causing skin irritation and or dryness. This therefore shows that such staff takes deliberate actions in failing to have their hands washed prior to and even after attending to a patient as would be required professionally. This is thus one institutional shortcoming that is likely to contribute towards the increased transmission of infections through hands as are referred through the concept of HAI. Besides, one would blame the challenge on lack of supportive effects such as hand towels, soaps as well as antimicrobial solutions within the reach of the staff on the increase n negligence or failure to observe hands hygiene as is required of the health care providers. Other institutional weaknesses that have been pointed out through other studies are together with lack of or even poor location of sinks within the healthcare facilities. When such is the case, the staffs fail to have the motivation to regularly have hands washed and this is equally blamed on increased cases of HAI. Finally, tight schedules and understaffing has been shown to contribute to problems of overcrowding within then acute care centers. When such happens, the healthcare providers fail to have enough time to attend to all professionalism while attending to the needs of patients. This equally would contribute to increased transmission of hospital acquired infections through poor healthcare provider hand hygiene (Weinstock, 2007). Besides the institutional factors that contribute to the problem under analysis, there are other factors that have been blamed on the individual staff. They include ignorance and instances of emergency where the service providers fail to observe all necessary procedures. Ignorance has been pointed out in occasions where service providers fail to understand the risks which they pose to themselves as well as to the patients to whom they attend when they fail to observe the high standard of hands hygiene as prescribed (Harris, et al, 2011). It must however be understood that all the above issues identified through this paper to contribute to lack of or poor observance of the high standards of hands hygiene as is required increases the risks of transmitting hospital acquired infections which is both costly to an economy and causes deaths to these patients. Besides, all these factors can be overcome through proper policy frameworks and institutional settings. Project evaluation plan. The process of conducting this study task will have different faces and these are the main focus of the appraisal. Investigation, development of a plan, implementation as well as monitoring processes is involved in all project evaluations. A general evaluation of the entire study project reveals high likelihood of success especially in data collection and analysis. However study limitations on time and use of biased data from the records are likely to affect the study very negatively hence the need to adopt all precautionary measures. Summary Proper hand’s hygiene in health service facilities have been shown to be vital and very fundamental in controlling transmission of HAIs (Meyer, 2010). However, there are various factors that are blamed on contributing towards increased non compliance with such requirements of observing high standards of hand hygiene by service providers. This project will therefore evaluate these factors through a study of acute care centers represented by the medical facility in the university chosen. Both institutional and human factors are likely to be noted on contributing towards causing the perpetuation of poor hand hygiene by the service providers within these facilities. In the past, the immediate effects of this have been increase in cases of transmission of hospital acquired infections. References Cantrell, S., E.L.S. (2008). Hand-hygiene formula: 2 clean hands 4 good health. Healthcare Purchasing News, 32(11), 26-28,30. Cantrell, S., E.L.S. (2013). Good hygiene, smart economics go hand in hand. Healthcare Purchasing News, 37(10), 38-42,44,46. Cantrell, S., E.L.S. (2014). Electronic hand-hygiene surveillance systems: The new gold standard? Healthcare Purchasing News, 38(3), 30-30,32,34,36,38,41. Corrigan, T. (2013). SwipeSense: Forget to wash?; startups wearable device seeks to improve hand hygiene among hospital staff. Wall Street Journal (Online) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1439919015?accountid=45049 Gebhart, F. (2012). Better cleaning of patient rooms can reduce hospital-acquired infections. Drug Topics, 156(8), 20. Harris, B. D., et al, (2011). Strict hand hygiene and other practices shortened stays and cut costs and mortality in A pediatric intensive care unit. Health Affairs, 30(9), 1751-61.  Kaiser, N., & Sandhu, S. (2006). The role of skin science in assuring hand hygiene compliance. Healthcare Purchasing News,30(7), 36-38. Medvick, J. (2008). Antimicrobial hand hygiene products. Healthcare Purchasing News, 32(4), 40-41. Meyer, H. (2010). Measurement ensures better handwashing compliance. Managed Healthcare Executive, 20(7), 25-26. Ricks, D. (2007). Treating the hospital: Following simple hygiene can prevent infections, deaths. McClatchy - Tribune Business News Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/462591905?accountid=45049 Rollins, G. (2008). A goal unrealized: Hand hygiene compliance. Trustee, 61(8), 35-6. Sullivan, K. (2014). Educate patients and doctors about hand hygiene. Newton: Questex Media Group LLC. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1523856212?accountid=45049 Weinstock, M. (2007). Forcing hospitals to focus on infections. Hospitals & Health Networks, 81(9), 22-22,24. Read More