Evaluation of a training program on hand hygiene for healthcare workers in a second-level hospital in southern Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Health care-associated infections (HAIs), albeit being the most frequent adverse event in health care, are mostly preventable through hand hygiene (HH). Given the extremely low HH compliance among healthcare workers (HCWs), educational initiatives aimed at this group are crucial. This study used an ultraviolet (UV)-based technology to assess the efficacy of an educational and training program on HH for HCWs in a second-level hospital in southern Italy.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted between November 2020 and February 2022. Participants were asked to rub their hands with an UV-labelled disinfectant solution before having digital images of both sides of their hands taken under UV-A light, using a device that recorded the solution's distribution on each surface before and after the training session. The instrument recorded the percentage of surface covered (quantitative data) for each measurement along with the eventual passing of the 95% threshold (qualitative data).

Results: Following the training session, we observed a significant increase in the number of valid procedures as well as the mean coverage (expressed as the percentage of surface covered) for each surface examined. From 16.9% in the pre-interventional phase to 48.7% in the post-interventional phase, the percentage of HCWs who exceeded the 95% threshold on both sides of hands increased significantly (p<0,001).

Conclusions: The findings of our study show that the training intervention was effective in raising participants HH performance. Secondly, they suggest that giving HCWs immediate visual feedback on their progress throughout the learning process could help increase HH adequacy.