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On May 5 every year, the word celebrates the importance of hand hygiene. The World Health Organization (WHO) leads the global hand hygiene campaign with the 2025 theme to promote optimal hand hygiene practices including knowing the times for appropriate glove use within the health care environment.

Hospital acquired infections (HAI) are a major patient safety issue and economic burden for the health-care system.  In Canada, one in every nine hospital patients contracts a health care-associated infection. This leads to 200, 000 cases of hospital acquired infections and potentially 8,000 deaths. Everyone has a role in HAI prevention and control programs (PICNet).

Your 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene poster

Hand Hygiene – What can we do to be safe?

Patients for Patient Safety Canada has been involved in the Canadian Hand Hygiene campaign every year because clean hands saves lives by preventing the transmission of infections.

Everyone has a role to play in preventing the transmission of infection.

Here is what you can do to be safe:

ASK about…

  • when & how to clean your hands correctly.
  • the right times to use gloves, knowing that hand hygiene is always the best choice.
  • the impact which overuse of gloves has on the environment.
  • the risk of spreading infection if you don’t wash your hands.

LISTEN…

to the experiences and questions of others about hand hygiene. 

ACT to prevent infections by …

  • including patients, families & caregivers as partners in the care of their loved ones, in all settings.
  • telling patients, families & caregivers when and where the safety risks are – e.g. being exposed to infection.
  • asking patients, families & caregivers about the safety risks they see.
  • washing or sanitizing your hands in front of patients, families & caregivers – relieve them of the burden to ask you if you have cleaned your hands.

Resources

World Health Organization (WHO) 

  • Overview of WHO Key messages
    • Hand hygiene is the best option
    • Gloves can be contaminated; also create waste and adds an environmental stress
    • Frequently asked questions list:
      • Helpful for patients and families to know what to expect when at a healthcare visit; always best for healthcare providers to wash their hands.

Healthcare Excellence Canada

  • Useful information for patients and families about how to clean hands, how to reduce risk for infection and encourages speak up and encourage healthcare providers to wash their hands.

Health Canada

  • Hand washing and staying healthy – Canada.ca
    • Very helpful information about how to wash hands and when to wash your hands.
    • Gives helpful information about how to reduce risk of infections.
  • Handwashing heroes (for kids): Hand-washing heroes – Canada.ca
    • Very clear and fun video about how and when to wash your hands; would be helpful for school settings or at home.
      • Sing Happy Birthday as you wash your hands with soap and water.

Public Health Ontario

Prairie Mountain Health

  • Prairi Mountain Health
    • Excellent infographic for patients and families – specific moments to wash your hands; clear and informative.

Frequency of Hand Washing

  • Atif S., Lorcy, A., Dube, E. (2019) Healthcare workers’ attitudes toward hand hygiene practices:  Results of a multi-centre qualitative study in Quebec, Canadian Journal of Infection Control, Volume 34, Issue 1, p 41-48. 
  • This study interviewed Healthcare Workers to determine why Hand Hygiene (HH) practices are used and how this is needed to improve HH practices and reduce Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI). The findings suggest that environmental strategies (e.g., additional sinks and HH stations) and organizational and communication strategies (e.g., continuing education and training sessions, support from hospital management, positive feedback) could help raise Healthcare Workers’ awareness of HAI prevention and adoption of HH guidelines.
  • “Employees need to understand that handwashing is to protect patients, but it’s also to protect themselves. You wash your hands to protect yourself.” (quote from Healthcare Worker)

Get in touch to start making a difference today.

“In honor of those who have died, those left disabled, our loved ones today and the world’s children yet to be born, we will strive for excellence, so that all involved in healthcare are as safe as possible as soon as possible.”
– LONDON DECLARATION
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