NBGH releases hand hygiene compliance rates

Today the province released stats that gauge hand hygiene rates in hospitals across the province and it appears North Bay General Hospital (NBGH) is doing okay.

The timing of the report couldn’t be more appropriate given the current Swine Flu crises, which reinforces the need for hand washing in any setting especially a hospital setting is essential. And the results demonstrate that NBGH remains committed to reducing healthcare-associated infections.

How to properly wash your hands video

Key times to wash your hands video with NBGH Infectious Disease Co-ordinator Kim Carter.


Locally the rates are broken down in both sites:

Scollard Site

Percent of hand hygiene before patient/environmental contact: 65.95%

Percent of hand hygiene after patient /environment contact: 68.72%


McLaren Site

Percent of hand hygiene before patient/environmental contact: 50.53%

Percent of hand hygiene after patient /environment contact: 68.64%

Full details contained in the news release below.

*************************

Today, as part of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's (MOHLTC) public reporting of patient safety indicators initiative, the North Bay General Hospital (NBGH) began publicly posting the results of the hand hygiene compliance rates among its care professionals.

The two indicators the Ministry will publically report are hand hygiene before patient/environment contact and after patient/environment contact. The data submitted to the Ministry from NBGH are as follows:



Scollard Site

Percent of hand hygiene before patient/environmental contact: 65.95%

Percent of hand hygiene after patient /environment contact: 68.72%



McLaren Site

Percent of hand hygiene before patient/environmental contact: 50.53%

Percent of hand hygiene after patient /environment contact: 68.64%

Research shows that hand hygiene is the single most effective way to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections, and NBGH has demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring the overall safety and wellbeing of patients.

"Our hospital has focused a great deal of attention on improving hand hygiene," says NBGH President and CEO Mark Hurst. "To help improve hand hygiene practices and create a culture of patient safety, our facility implemented the provincial hand hygiene Just Clean Your Hands program in 2008," he added.

Beginning in March 2008, hospitals across Ontario participated in a comprehensive training program called Just Clean Your Hands. Since that time, trained observers in hospital settings have been conducting hand hygiene audits (using a provincial audit tool) and recording what they see. With specific sample sizes based on hospital size, hospitals must then report their compliance rates to the MOHLTC.

"Ontario's hospitals strongly support collecting and publicly reporting patient safety data such as hand hygiene compliance rates" explains OHA President and CEO Tom Closson. "This type of data, reported on a consistent, province-wide basis, will be an important element in our efforts to improve patient safety."

The collection and public reporting of these rates will allow hospitals to establish a baseline from which to track their hand hygiene improvement over time. Hospitals will use this information to identify areas for improvement and strategies for reducing the incidence of healthcare-associated infections.

The data is available on the NBGH website, and on the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's website at www.ontario.ca/patientsafety and on the new www.myhospitalcare.ca website.

*************************