Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

5 Countries in which hospitals have integrated WHO's My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene con- cept into daily practice are making great strides, according to Dr. Pittet, and they are not the only ones. "The countries leading the way are those with na- tional hand hygiene campaigns — such as Austra- lia with the National Hand Hygiene Initiative — as well as [places] such as Singapore, Hong Kong and countries where hospitals have been awarded with Hand Hygiene Excellence Awards, such as Brazil," he said. Hand Hygiene Australia — which was created in 2008 — is the government organization tasked with implementing the National Hand Hygiene Initiative across the country. HHA has local coordinators appointed in Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory to create and execute strategies and campaigns to maximize the success of the NHHI and reports directly to the Australian Commission on Qual- ity and Safety in Health Care. The NHHI was awarded the Centre of Hand Hygiene Excellence award by WHO in 2011. As of June 2014, the average hand hygiene compli- ance rate among 782 hospitals across Australia was 81 percent. Although national campaigns that raise awareness for the importance of hand hygiene have made a difference in some countries, they may not be suf- ficient in and of themselves, according to Erin S. DuPree, MD, CMO and vice president for the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare. "To sustain improvement and make a difference, a simple slogan or campaign is not enough; demand- ing that healthcare workers try harder is not the an- swer," said Dr. DuPree. "Comprehensive, systematic and sustainable change is the only solution." To accomplish improved compliance, The Joint Commission accredits U.S. organizations through the National Patient Safety Goal program when they comply with either the U.S. Centers for Dis- ease Control and Prevention's hand hygiene guide- lines or WHO's 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene. Similarly, the Joint Commission International demands similar compliance measurements from its international hospitals seeking accredi- tation through the International Patient Safety Goals program, under which organizations are required to adopt and implement evidence- based hand-hygiene guidelines to reduce the risk of HAIs. Internationally acceptable guidelines are WHO's 5 Moment for Hand Hygiene, the CDC's guidelines or guidelines from other na- tional and international organizations. "The bottom line is some hospitals have priori- tized hand hygiene and are addressing it in a reli- able, data-driven systematic way, but those orga- nizations are too few and far between," said Dr. DuPree. n Hand Hygiene Compliance: An Internationally Shared Mission (continued from cover) The average hand hygiene compliance rate among 782 of Australia's hospitals was 81%. The Canadian Hand Hygiene Audit found the national compliance rate for hand hygiene is 78.3% as of April 2014. Alcohol-based hand rub is the principle mode (69%) of hand hygiene among healthcare workers in India. Alcohol-based hand rub was available in 100% of ICUs and 92.3% non-ICUs in German hospitals participating in the national hand hygiene. Pull quote H A N D I N T E R N A T I O N A L H Y G I E N E "To sustain improvement and make a difference, a simple slogan or campaign is not enough; demanding that healthcare workers try harder is not the answer. Comprehensive, systemic and sustainable change is the only solution." — Erin DuPree, MD, CMO and vice president for the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare

• Cover