K-C Releases New Hand Hygiene Data

Kimberly-Clark revealed results of a new survey on patient attitudes toward hand hygiene in a healthcare setting. According to the study results, 72% of respondents have never asked healthcare providers if they have washed or sanitized their hands before beginning an exam or procedure.

• Patients do not ask about hand hygiene: Only five percent of the survey respondents always ask doctors or staff in hospitals if they have washed or sanitized their hands before beginning an exam or procedure.
• Low awareness of risk: Among Americans who did not ask healthcare professionals about hand hygiene in the hospital setting, 40% said they did not ask because they assume healthcare professionals perform hand hygiene before treating any patient. In addition, 34% said they simply don’t think about asking a hospital healthcare provider about hand hygiene, and 21 percent said that they do not feel it is their responsibility to ask. Only 30 percent did not ask because they witnessed their hospital healthcare provider washing or sanitizing their hands.
• Older patients are more hesitant to ask: Nearly 25% of Americans age 55 and older are not at all comfortable asking hospital doctors or medical staff whether they washed their hands, compared to 12 percent of those ages 18-34 who felt uncomfortable.
• Patients are not offered education: Only 8% of those surveyed were provided with pamphlets or literature in hospitals outlining proper hand washing techniques and other infection prevention tips. Further, only five percent were provided information in hospitals on mobile or online resources specific to preventing HAIs.