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Culture change in infection control: applying psychological principles to improve hand hygiene.

Cumbler E, Castillo L, Satorie L, et al. Culture change in infection control: applying psychological principles to improve hand hygiene. J Nurs Care Qual. 2013;28(4):304-11. doi:10.1097/NCQ.0b013e31829786be.

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July 24, 2013
Cumbler E, Castillo L, Satorie L, et al. J Nurs Care Qual. 2013;28(4):304-11.
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The seemingly simple act of hand hygiene has proved to be a formidable obstacle in patient safety, as hand hygiene rates remain unacceptably low at many hospitals. This study describes how one hospital reframed hand washing as a social issue at the unit level and used a combination of active leadership and psychological approaches (including immediate feedback) to encourage hand hygiene. The program resulted in a sustained improvement in hand hygiene rates, an accomplishment that has led to a drop in health care–associated infection rates in other studies. The seminal Keystone ICU study used a similar approach—framing infection control as a social issue rather than a disease problem—to successfully reduce catheter-associated bloodstream infections.

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Cumbler E, Castillo L, Satorie L, et al. Culture change in infection control: applying psychological principles to improve hand hygiene. J Nurs Care Qual. 2013;28(4):304-11. doi:10.1097/NCQ.0b013e31829786be.

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