Hand Hygiene Reporting

Hand Hygiene Compliance Rates

Ontario hospitals are posting their hand hygiene compliance rates as percentages for time periods identified by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, using the following formula:

X 100

# of times hand hygiene performed

# of observed hand hygiene indications

The rates are as follows:

Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre Site
Hand Hygiene by Type of Indication

Before initial patient/patient environment contact: 41% compliance
After patient/patient environment contact: 56%

compliance

Brockville Mental Health Centre Site
Hand Hygiene by Type of Indication

Before initial patient/patient environment contact: 48% compliance
After patient/patient environment contact: 48%

compliance

These percentages also reflect:

hand hygiene before initial patient/patient environment contact by combined health care provider type (e.g., nurses, allied health professionals, physicians, etc.)
hand hygiene after patient/patient environment contact by combined health care provider type (e.g., nurses, allied health professionals, physicians, etc.)

The goal of public reporting hand hygiene compliance is to achieve an overall assessment of whether compliance rates are improving. It is normal for rates to vary from hospital to hospital.

A baseline rate is done at a specific point in time. Our baseline rate was completed prior to implementing any new hand hygiene strategies.

These strategies include placing more alcohol based hand rub (ABHR) in strategic locations within our facilities as well as educating all staff with the Just Clean Your Hands training module from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. We are offering small portable ABHR for staff to carry to ensure they will be able to clean their hands at any given time, in any given place.

Information for Patients and Families

Patient safety remains the most important priority for the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group facilities and this involves ensuring that patients are not at risk for contracting healthcare-associated infections.

We have a number of practices in place to help prevent and control infections, including a comprehensive hand hygiene program. As of April 30, 2009, all Ontario hospitals are required to annually post their hand hygiene compliance rates to further promote accountability and transparency within the health system.

If you have any questions about the information below or about our hospital’s infection prevention and control program, please contact email at infectionprevention@rohcg.on.ca

What are health care-associated infections?

Sometimes patients get infections after they are admitted to hospital. These are called health care-associated infections.

How will the public reporting of hand hygiene compliance affect compliance among health care professionals?

There are many factors that will improve hand hygiene compliance. Mandatory public reporting is one element. Certainly the increasing recent attention on the issue as well as the provincial government’s multifaceted hand hygiene program called Just Clean Your Hands are important to ensuring effective hand hygiene at the right times.

Why is hand hygiene so important?

Hand hygiene is an important practice for health care providers and has a significant impact on reducing the spread of infections in hospitals. Hand hygiene is a different way of thinking about safety and patient care and involves everyone in the hospital, including patients and health care providers.

Effective hand hygiene practices in hospitals play a key role in improving patient and provider safety, and in preventing the spread of health care-associated infections.

What is the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group doing to improve hand hygiene?

We are placing more alcohol based hand rub (ABHR) in strategic locations within our facilities as well as educating all staff with the Just Clean Your Hands training module from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. We are offering small portable ABHR for staff to carry to ensure they will be able to clean their hands at any given time, in any given place.

What can patients do to help improve their own safety?

Hand hygiene involves everyone in the hospital, including patients. Hand cleaning is one of the best ways you and your health care team can prevent the spread of many infections. Patients and their visitors should also practice good hand hygiene before and after entering patient rooms.

More patient-specific information is available at www.ontario.ca/patientsafety and www.oha.com/patientsafetytips.