INTERVIEW Experience with the software module ‘Observe‘ ‘One major advantage is that direct feedback can now be provided.‘ Dear Ms Hombeuel, since when have you been using Observe to record hand hygiene compliance at Memmingen Hospital? How has using it changed things for you? Alexandra Hombeuel: We have been using Observe since 2020. Since then, assessing compliance has been much easier. In fact, it is easier to do this with a click than manually. It is also convenient: I have a device where I can store everything important to me. This means I always have everything at my fingertips, including for evaluation purposes. It‘s great that you can generate statistics and visual representations of the results immediately, without lots of words. Depending on what you want to know or illustrate, you can also generate a wide variety of statistics. That‘s really useful. And you, Mr Hohl: since when have you been measuring hand hygiene compliance at Aarau Cantonal Hospital? In what ways has Observe influenced your hospital‘s work? Stefan Hohl: Hand hygiene compliance has been effectively recorded at this hospital since 2006. We have been using the Observe system since 2017. Initially, the data was recorded manually. Digitalisation was not yet so advanced at that time. The data was recorded on paper and then transferred to an Excel spreadsheet. This process was very time-consuming and tedious, and also prone to errors. I wasn‘t here at the time, but I am familiar with this type of recording method from another clinic. We used to work that way there, too. That‘s why I know how exhausting it was, as you had to concentrate hard to ensure that you entered the correct numbers in the right places. Today, everything is much easier: errors are minimised, and we save time because we don‘t have to re-enter the data afterwards. Another big advantage is that we can now give direct feedback to the observers. Whenever possible, we conduct a feedback discussion outside the patient‘s room after the observation. It helps when the evaluation is presented visually in the app with these bar charts. Has the introduction of the Observe module also improved adherence with hand hygiene? Stefan Hohl: The number of recordings naturally increased with the introduction of Observe. This is because the process became easier, but it may also be because more people joined the team and participated. Since then, we have averaged around 500 additional recordings per year. In total, we have consistently exceeded 2,000 recordings per year. Before that, we were well below that figure. Adherence with hand hygiene has changed over the years. It is difficult to say whether this was due to Observe. We also observed a ‘COVID-19 effect‘: during the pandemic, which began in early 2020, compliance rose sharply due to an increased presence on the wards and greater awareness of hygiene. How was it in Memmingen, Ms Hombeuel? Has Observe also improved hand hygiene adherence at your facility? Alexandra Hombeuel: Yes, but it is only sustainable in a few areas of our clinic. There are several factors that play a role in the practical implementation of hygiene rules. Above all, however, it is long-term awareness that needs to change. Our data shows that there are still significant fluctuations among occupational groups. That is the reality. There is still a widespread belief that simple measures such as hand disinfection after the five moments cannot have a significant impact on infection prevention. Unfortunately, there is a lack of understanding that everyone can contribute and that each individual is responsible for doing so. Since 2015, the ‘Observe‘ software module of the HARTMANN Hygiene Platform has helped hospitals in eight countries record and analyse hand hygiene compliance in accordance with the WHO‘s ‘Five Moments for Hand Hygiene‘. In an interview with DISINFACTS, Alexandra Hombeuel, Hygiene specialist at the hospital Memmingen (Bavaria, Germany) and Stefan Hohl, Infection Prevention Specialist at the Cantonal Hospital Aarau (Switzerland), share their experiences of using the digital assistant to improve hand hygiene compliance monitoring.* *The interviews were conducted separately and the interviewees were not aware of the statements made by others. 8
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