One of the most effective methods to stop the spread of infection throughout Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is practising good hand hygiene. Since 2009, VCH has had a hand hygiene program in place in our acute care and residential care settings performing hand hygiene audits and encouraging staff to clean their hands by following the World Health Organization’s 4 Moments for Hand Hygiene.

Sheila Browning, lead for the Hand Hygiene Working Group, says they are doing a lot to improve hand hygiene practises across VCH – especially before Accreditation 2016.

“We are the group dealing with the hand hygiene required organizational practise (ROP) for accreditation,” she says. “We are working on making sure we meet the three tests of compliance for hand hygiene set out by Accreditation Canada.” 

“Hand hygiene is the single most effective way to stop the spread of infection,” Sheila says. “Ensuring all staff have all the tools necessary to always practice excellent hand hygiene is our #1 priority.”

Major: The organization measures its compliance with accepted HH practices using direct observation methods (e.g. audit). For organizations that provide services in clients’ homes, a combination (two or more) of alternative methods may be used.

Minor: The organization shares the results of measuring HH compliance with staff, service providers and volunteers.

Minor: The organization uses the results of measuring HH compliance to make improvements to its HH practices.

“As an organization that provides services in clients’ homes we are also working with our partners in public health, community and home health, ambulatory care, and mental health to develop alternate methods of capturing hand hygiene compliance,” Sheila says. “Because direct observation of hand hygiene is extremely difficult in these settings, we  have developed a self-assessment for these staff member to complete and will be scheduling UV (Glo-Germ) demonstrations as a way to educate and remind staff of the proper hand hygiene technique.”

“We’ll be ready,” she adds.

It’s what we do every day

Thanks in advance for your support of Accreditation 2016. Accreditation is an ongoing quality journey, and our chance to let the great care that we provide at VCH shine; it’s what we do every day!

More information

Questions can be directed to the regional Accreditation Support Team through Serena Bertoli-Haley.

See also:

Mystery of the Missing Moment–comment to win.