Hand hygiene: a standardised tool for assessing compliance

Abstract A standardised tool for measuring hand hygiene compliance was developed as part of the Debug Infection Prevention Program at Austin Health in Melbourne, Australia. This standardised Hand Hygiene Compliance Tool (HHCT) was an integral part of the culture change program that encouraged the increased use of bedside alcohol-chlorhexidine hand rubs. This program was associated with a sustained improvement in hand hygiene among Health Care Workers and a reduction in the rate of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infections 1 . The details regarding the development of the HHCT and the methodology that needs to be addressed when using such a surveillance tool are presented.