The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Hand Hygiene Performance in Hospitals.

Abstract Background Achieving high levels of hand hygiene compliance of healthcare personnel has been an ongoing challenge. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hand hygiene performance (HHP) rates in acute care hospitals. Methods HHP rates were estimated using an automated hand hygiene monitoring system (AHHMS) installed in 74 adult inpatient units in 7 hospitals and 10 pediatric inpatient units in 2 children's hospitals. A segmented regression model was used to estimate the trajectory of HHP rates in the ten weeks leading up to a COVID-19-related milestone event (eg, school closures) and for ten weeks after. Results Three effects emerged, all of which were significant at p Conclusion Data from an AHHMS indicated that HHP shifted in multiple directions during the early stages of the pandemic. We discuss possible reasons why HHP first increased as the pandemic began and then decreased as it progressed.