Abstract:
Abstract
Background: Health care workers hands are the most usual type of vehicle for transmission of
health care associated infection. Hand hygiene is a compliance of cleansing hands using soap and
water or using antiseptic hand rub for removal of transient microorganism from hands. Despite
hand hygiene is the simplest, cost effective and universal approach to reduce transmission of
health care associated infection its compliance remained below the standard procedure. Hence it
is important to address major root causes of poor hand hygiene compliance.
Objectives: The aim of this capstone project was improving hand hygiene compliance among
medical staff at urban health centers of Dera Woreda, Amhara region, Northwest Ethiopia by the
end of December 30, 2016.
Methods: A pre-post interventional survey was carried out among 72 medical staff. Baseline
data were collected using observational checklist from January, 11, 2016 to January, 15, 2016.
Intervention was done from June to August 31, 2016. End line data collection from October 31,
2016 to November 04, 2016 then analyzed the change from November 05/2016 to December 30,
2016. The collected data were entered to Epi Info version 7 then exported to SPSS version 20
software for analysis
Result: Basic hand hygiene compliance was improved significantly from 8.3% to 58.92 % at
(CI=95, t = -62.723, P = 0.00) based on pre and post intervention comparisons.
Hand washing steps compliance improved from 36.4 % to 77.7 % as per pre and post data
comparison.
Alcohol based hand rub increased from 0% to 35.4% pre and post intervention respectively.
Conclusion and recommendation: The findings indicate that providing on job training, availing
alcohol based hand rub, and ensuring water supply brought a high hand hygiene compliance of
medical staff and therefore similar interventions are recommended in other facilities.
Key words: Medical staff, hand hygiene, compliance, urban health centers of Dera Woreda,
operational standards.