National Observational Study to Evaluate the cleanyourhands Campaign (NOSEC)
This study in England and Wales involved:
- regular surveys of infection control teams;
- monitoring of quarterly HCAI rates;
- monitoring usage of soap and alcohol handrub.
Key findings:
- The cleanyourhands campaign appears to have led to sustained changes in many aspects of hand hygiene behaviour.
- Twelve months after the roll-out of the campaign, nearly all trusts have alcohol handrub in more than 75% of wards.
- Pre-campaign alcohol handrub usage was low but started to rise in the run-up to the start of the campaign. Alcohol handrub use increased significantly throughout the campaign roll-out and has now stabilised.
- Soap usage has remained constant.
- Posters appear to be used in most wards in 81% of trusts.
- The campaign has engaged trusts, with over 75% reporting that it remains a top priority for them 18 months after roll-out of the campaign began.
- Patient empowerment materials have been less successful. By 18 months after roll-out of the campaign began, materials were perceived to reach patients in only 40% of trusts, changing their behaviour in less than half of those.
- Audit and feedback have not been widely implemented to date, with 30% of trusts doing very little at all.
- HCAI data collected as part of the study appears to follow national trends. Further analysis and cleaning of data as well as collection of data from the next NOSEC questionnaire is required before any conclusions can be drawn.
