New Strategies to Monitor Healthcare Workers’ Hand Hygiene Compliance

Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are costly and deadly. These infections are also preventable up to 75% of the time. Arguably, the most basic strategy for prevention of HAIs is proper hand hygiene (HH). Despite the relative ease and simplicity of performing HH compared to other infection prevention interventions, compliance rates in hospitals worldwide remain under 50%. Evaluation, monitoring, and feedback are key components of HH prevention. This article will review strengths and weaknesses of current methods to monitor and improve HH compliance.