Experiential Training of Hand Hygiene Using Virtual Reality

Hand hygiene is widely recognized as an important measure to prevent the transmission of microorganisms that may be involved in healthcare-associated infections. Yet correct hand hygiene remains challenging and healthcare providers struggle to improve adherence. While seemingly straightforward, performing hand hygiene at the right indication using the right technique becomes difficult within the context of complex work processes. We believe that an important barrier to hand hygiene is the invisible nature of microorganisms and delayed expression of healthcare associated infections. This delayed or missing feedback makes it difficult to associate unsafe behaviors with their negative consequences. In this chapter, we describe an application of experiential learning theory to guide the development of a virtual reality hand hygiene trainer in which visual feedback about microorganism transmission and infectious outcomes are introduced in the virtual environment. With this immersive trainer, our aim is to enhance experiential learning and increase intrinsic motivation to perform hand hygiene.