Staff at the Toronto Grace are to be congratulated for being at the top of their class for hand hygiene rates. The average hand hygiene rate for 2015-16 was 98.96%. This was recognized by Accreditation Canada in our survey report in March, and then recently as one of the Top Performing Hospitals in Ontario by National Research Corporation Canada.
Staff are to be commended for all their efforts for their high performance in Hand Hygiene. ‘Just Clean Your Hands’
Method for Gathering Hygiene Compliance
All hospitals are required to collect a minimum of 200 observations for every 100 hospital beds. Direct observation of hand hygiene is completed at all hospitals, including TGHC, by trained observers using a standard provincial audit tool. Here is how it was calculated:
# of times hand hygiene performed
—————————————————— x 100
# of observed hand hygiene indications
The observations were on the Four Moments for Hand Hygiene.
What is Hand Hygiene?
- Hand hygiene is using sanitizer or washing with soap and water.
- Hand cleaning is something we all do, but we need to do better – at the right time and the right way.
- Every patient has the right to ask their care provider if they have washed their hands.
Why is Hand Hygiene So Important?
- Hand hygiene is a safety practice that belongs to EVERYONE in the hospital including patients, families, visitors and the care team.
- Good hand washing is the most successful way to reduce and prevent healthcare-associated infections.
What are Healthcare-associated Infections?
- Sometimes when patients are admitted to hospitals they get an infection. These infections are called healthcare-associated infections
When Should I Wash/Sanitize My Hands
- Sanitize/wash your hands before you enter the hospital, at the front door.
- Sanitize/wash your hands before entering a patient’s room.
- Sanitize/wash your hands after you leave a patient’s room.
- Sanitize/wash your hands when leaving the hospital.