Date of Award

4-24-2020

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Medical Science (MMSc)

First Advisor

Manisha Juthani, MD

Abstract

Hospital-acquired infections are common and represent the most frequent adverse event in healthcare delivery. Hand hygiene has been identified as the most effective intervention to prevent the spread of hospital-acquired infections. Although patients have been identified as vectors, the role of increased patient hand hygiene in the reduction of hospital-acquired infections has not been determined. We propose that the addition of a patient-centered hand hygiene intervention among hospitalized adult patients on general medicine floors will result in a 30% reduction in acquisition of hospital-acquired infections over the time period of 18-months in comparison to the standard of care focused on clinician hand hygiene only. We will complete a single-blinded cluster randomized control trial to evaluate the effect of a patient hand hygiene intervention on rates of hospital-acquired infections. The results of this trial could play a role in the development of new hospital initiatives focused on increasing patient hand hygiene.

Open Access

This Article is Open Access

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