by Brianna Crandall — May 13, 2016 — Hartmann, provider of the “world’s first” alcohol-based hand disinfectant and other medical and hygiene products, celebrated the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual “Save Lives: Clean Your Hands” campaign last week (May 5) with the launch of its six-step Evolution Concept, a multimodal hand hygiene strategy.
Dr. Klaus Ruhnau, senior vice president, disinfection at Hartmann Group and managing director of Bode GmbH, said:
Preventable healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) continue to burden hospitals worldwide, which is why we have added a customized multimodal approach to maximize hospital compliance in hand hygiene. We are now going further to partner with hospital management and healthcare professionals for effective hygiene system solutions and better outcomes for patients.
It is assumed that up to 90 percent of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are transmitted via the hands. Improving compliance in hand disinfection can reduce HAIs by 40 percent, says Hartmann.
The Evolution Concept aims to help prevent HAIs by connecting Hartmann hygiene and disinfection consultants with hospital management to assess their current compliance status and identify opportunities to improve hygiene performance.
Hartmann’s six-step concept consists of the following content modules to help hospitals improve hand hygiene compliance:
- Value of alcohol-based disinfection (i.e. hand washing vs. rubbing);
- Proper dispenser placement;
- Training on the right rub-in technique
- Interactive e-learning tools on the five moments for hand hygiene; and
- Two apps for monitoring and process optimization
Clinics can request information to participate in Evolution on the Hartmann Web site.
The World Health Organization, the latest study from the Journal of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, and the BODE Science Center (Hartmann’s competence center for infection protection) all suggest that a multimodal hand-hygiene process, with an emphasis on an alcohol-based solution, is more effective at killing germs.
In collaboration with BODE Science Center, the Evolution Concept was initially presented at the German Society for Hospital Hygiene (DGKH) annual conference in Berlin in April, where it was reportedly well received by the attendees as an efficient solution to improve hand hygiene compliance rates.
The Hartmann Web site offers a video and infographic on the multimodal hygiene process.
