Alternatives for the WHO 6-step Protocol
Last time we wrote about the current 6-step hand hygiene protocol, which formed the base of the EN1500 and WHO hand hygiene recommendations. There are two problems with the 6-step protocol, that are often reported. First, it takes too long to perform. Kampf 2008 reported that performing the 6-steps protocol accurately lasts on average 75 s, while the guideline only requires 30 s. Figure 1 : The 6-step from WHO ‘How to handrub’ and ‘How to handwash’ guide [1]. Second, according to several studies, 6 steps are too many to remember. In Silva 2014 , healthcare professionals were asked about hand hygiene; 98.6% of them replied that they feel very motivated to perform hand hygiene, yet, 38% failed to report the steps of the hand washing technique adequately. Arias 2015 evaluated the compliance of the 6-step by direct observation, and found that while the first two step’s compliance was 100%, thumbs (step5) and fingertips (step6) were achie...
