Hand Hygiene in Hospitals – No chance for germs!
When you think about who safeguards your health in a hospital, you may think of expert doctors, devoted nurses, and advanced healthcare technology. But what‘s key to your health in general? Hygiene! And 80% of all hospital infections are caused by lack of hand hygiene. In 2014, we teamed up with a hospital in Daun, Germany and researched the topic of hand hygiene. In order to improve hand hygiene and to demonstrate the importance of the topic, we constructed a prototype of a hygienic stand offering antiseptic solution that was visually much more appealing and attention-grabbing than the one that was in use before.
Background
There are millions of germs on human hands. Some of these are useful for us, but others can be dangerous to us – especially for babies, the elderly or immune-deficient patients. New studies show that there are up to 600.000 infections acquired in German hospitals that lead to approximately 15.000 deaths annually. Up to 30% of those infections could be avoided by better hospital hygiene and up to 4500 lives could be saved every year. It is very important to raise awareness of the importance of hand sanitation amongst employees, patients and visitors of hospitals. Every hospital is faced with the problem of how to improve hand hygiene. It is a complex problem with many facets. That is why the hygiene team of the Maria-Hilf-Hospital in Daun decided to approach this problem with a design perspective and bring on the sedes-research team to help. The primary question that sedes-research investigated was whether or not the new design of the hygienic stand would create awareness of visitors and employees in the hospital and therefore increase the usage of the stand on a daily basis. The first step was to equip the hospital with hygienic stands that digitally measure the extraction of antiseptic solution. In order to compare the usage between the old and new hygienic stands, the volume and quantity of usage was documented before the new stands and during a four-week trial of the newly-designed stand.
Methodology & approach
Based on qualitative and quantitative research the team defined problem areas around the topic of hospital hygiene. It was evident that a general shift of perception was needed to achieve better hygiene and well-being in hospitals. This shift was around viewing hand hygiene as more than “fighting dirt,” but rather “fighting infections.” It was also important to create a more personal context – hygiene not being abstract, technical and for “others” – but directly related to each visitor.
Description of the stand:
The newly-designed hygiene stand is an eye-level androgynous figure that holds a disinfectant dispenser in its hands. The visitor interacts with the stand in a unique way when dispensing the liquid as one sees the reflection of oneself – making the whole experience more personal. The message that is communicated is the following: You are disinfecting your hands not only for others but also for your own health. A speech bubble reaffirms the message behind the stand by displaying the message: “I give germs no chance.”
Result
The stands were strategically placed in three different locations: the entrance area, the cafeteria and next to the emergency ambulance. The sedes-research team documented the volume and quantity of extractions before and during the four weeks that the newly-designed stand was tested in order to compare the usage and thus the raised level of awareness. An increase of usage all around was detected, with a maximum usage increase of 55 % for the stand that was placed in the entrance area.
Conclusion
These results were really positive; however, the number of people using sanitation in hospitals is still low and needs to be increased. The partner hospital was so pleased with the new stands and felt that the new design attracted more attention to hygiene that they decided to continue using them.
