Keeping Patients Safe: An Interventional Hand Hygiene Study at an Oncology Center

Healthcare-associated infections (HCIs) continue to affect patient morbidity and mortality and contribute to the rising cost of health care. Factors associated with the rise of HCIs in patients with cancer may include an increase in antimicrobial resistance and treatment effects of radiation and chemotherapeutic agents. Infection control and prevention practices can decrease infection rates among patients with cancer. In an effort to reduce HCIs and increase awareness, an interventional study was conducted at an oncology center to investigate hand hygiene compliance of healthcare professionals before and after the introduction of a handheld sanitizer spray. Although healthcare professionals had a positive response to the spray, it did not improve compliance rates.