Hand Hygiene, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland

Hand hygiene is one of the most important and effective ways to keep patients safe from the spread of infections in hospitals. One patient in the hospital or clinic may be touched by dozens of health care workers – doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and so on – in a single day. To protect children from infection, we require that patient care professionals thoroughly clean their hands before and after treating each child.

Hand hygiene means using either alcohol-based hand disinfectant or soap and water as well as the proper cleansing techniques for the appropriate length of time.

To ensure proper hand hygiene at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, a specific program was created by a team of doctors from many specialties as well as nurses, managers, environmental services staff, therapists, clinic staff and others.

What does UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland do to ensure proper hand hygiene?

UCSF considers hand hygiene a priority and expects all health care workers to clean their hands every time they go into or out of a patient's hospital or exam room.

We collect data on hand hygiene compliance through monitoring, both discreetly and openly. A daily compliance report is available. When someone fails to follow proper hand hygiene, they receive a reminder and coaching on correct techniques.

How do you know hand hygiene makes a difference?

UCSF and other institutions have studied the impact of hand hygiene on infection rates. Hand hygiene is one of many measures at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland that have helped reduce the rate of infections.

Hand hygiene compliance rates