This week’s assignment will require you to look into strategies for improving handwashing among health care providers. You will read a book chapter and do some research online. Using this information, you will address three questions (see below in the Procedure section). The paper with your responses to these three questions should be 12 point font, double-spaced and no more than 3 pages in length.
Read Chapter 13: On Washing Hands in Atul Gawande’s book, Better. ( attached below)
Answer the following questions, using what you learned from Gawande’s chapter, On Washing Hands, you:
- Share three promising ideas mentioned in the Gawande’s chapter for improving handwashing among health care providers. Discuss them in detail.
- Find one current (within last 5 years) evidence-based practice for handwashing and summarize what the method is and why its effective,
- How would you increase the rate of handwashing at your local doctor’s office? Use what you learned from reading Gawande’s chapter along with the evidence-based practice you researched in #2 above.) How would you change the behavior of these staff (nurses, physicians, technicians, support staff)?
Must cite all sources, (in text as well) ( including online research)
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor, it is important to discuss strategies for improving handwashing among health care providers to prevent the spread of infections. This week’s assignment requires reading chapter 13 of Atul Gawande’s book, Better, and conducting online research to answer three questions related to improving handwashing practices. The following are responses to these questions.
Question 1:
Three promising ideas mentioned in the Gawande’s chapter for improving handwashing among health care providers are:
1. Creating a culture of safety: This involves integrating the importance of hand hygiene into the culture of the healthcare organization, making it a responsibility of every staff member to ensure that handwashing practices are adhered to.
2. Encouraging patients to be active participants: Patients can also be encouraged to remind healthcare providers to wash their hands before any procedure or treatment to promote patient safety.
3. Providing feedback to healthcare providers: Feedback from supervisors, colleagues, and patients can help providers to be more aware of their hand hygiene practice and motivate them to improve it.
Question 2:
One current evidence-based practice for handwashing is the use of alcohol-based hand rubs (ABHRs). ABHRs are effective in killing a wide range of microorganisms on the hands quickly, and they are more convenient to use compared to soap and water. Furthermore, several studies have demonstrated that the use of ABHRs is associated with a lower incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) among patients.
Question 3:
To increase the rate of handwashing at a local doctor’s office, the following strategies can be implemented:
1. Providing education and training: Healthcare providers should be educated on the importance of hand hygiene and trained on the proper techniques for handwashing.
2. Placing hand hygiene reminders in strategic locations: Visible reminders such as posters can be placed in areas where hand hygiene is necessary, such as near patient rooms or procedure areas.
3. Offering feedback and incentives: Providing feedback on hand hygiene performance and offering incentives for compliance can encourage healthcare providers to improve their hand hygiene practices.
In conclusion, implementing a culture of safety, encouraging patient participation, and providing feedback to healthcare providers are the promising strategies to improve handwashing among healthcare providers discussed in Gawande’s chapter. The use of ABHRs is an evidence-based practice that can be effective in reducing HAIs. Implementing education and training, placing reminders, and offering feedback and incentives are the strategies that can be used to improve hand hygiene practices in local doctor’s offices.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
Improving hand hygiene practices among healthcare providers is crucial in preventing the spread of infections. This assignment requires reading chapter 13 of Atul Gawande’s book, Better, and conducting online research to answer three questions related to developing effective strategies for improving handwashing practices. The following are responses to these questions.
Question 1:
There are three promising ideas for improving handwashing practices among healthcare providers mentioned in Gawande’s chapter. The first strategy involves creating a culture of safety by integrating the importance of hand hygiene into the values and practices of the healthcare organization. This way, hand hygiene practices become a responsibility of every member of staff.
The second strategy is to encourage patients to be active participants in promoting hand hygiene practices. Patients can be encouraged to remind healthcare providers to wash their hands before any procedure or treatment to promote patient safety.
The third strategy involves providing feedback to healthcare providers. Feedback from supervisors, colleagues, and patients can motivate providers to improve their hand hygiene practices by raising awareness of their hygiene practices.
Question 2:
One evidence-based practice for improving hand hygiene among healthcare providers is the use of alcohol-based hand rubs (ABHRs). ABHRs are effective in killing a wide range of microorganisms quickly, are convenient, and easy to use. Studies have shown that the use of ABHRs is associated with a lower incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) among patients, which is why it is a recommended and widely-used practice in healthcare facilities.
Question 3:
To increase the rate of handwashing at a local doctor’s office, healthcare providers must be educated on the importance of hand hygiene. They should also be trained on the proper techniques for washing their hands effectively. Placing reminders in strategic locations, such as posters near patient rooms, can also encourage providers to maintain good hygiene practices.
Additionally, offering feedback on hand hygiene performance and incentivizing compliance can be effective in promoting good hand hygiene practices among healthcare providers. Incorporating these strategies, along with the effective use of ABHRs, can be effective in reducing the spread of HAIs in local doctor’s offices.
In conclusion, implementing a culture of safety, promoting patient participation, and providing feedback to healthcare providers are effective strategies for improving handwashing practices among healthcare providers. The use of ABHRs is an evidence-based practice that can reduce the incidence of HAIs among patients. Educating healthcare providers, placing visible hygiene reminders, and offering feedback and incentives can help promote good hygiene practices among healthcare providers.
