Hand hygiene rate
Hand hygiene in hospitals generally refers to the use of soap and water or a waterless antimicrobial agent (for example, an alcohol-based hand rub) by healthcare workers to clean their hands. The aim is for healthcare workers to perform hand hygiene correctly at every opportunity, for example, before and after touching a patient. Good hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to minimise the risk of healthcare associated infections, such as Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB). The National Hand Hygiene Initiative (external link, opens in a new window) [http://www.hha.org.au] is being progressively implemented in Australian hospitals to improve hand hygiene.
The national benchmark for hand hygiene is 70%.
To learn more about hand hygiene 'moments' or for information about how rates for hospitals are calculated and compared with the national benchmark, read About the data.
Safety and quality information on MyHospitals also includes information on SAB.
For Audit period 2, ending June 2012, the estimated rate was 72.8% based on 151 hand hygiene 'moments'.
This rate is similar to the national benchmark.
| Estimated rate of hand hygiene compared against the national benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit period | Estimated rate | Number of 'moments' | |
| Audit period 2, ending June 2012 | 72.8% | 151 |
|
| Audit period 1, ending February 2012 | 76.7% | 120 |
|
| Audit period 3, ending October 2011 | 79.8% | 218 |
|