Feasibility of monitoring compliance to the My 5 Moments and Entry/Exit hand hygiene methods in US hospitals.

We compared the ability to observe hand hygiene opportunities using the World Health Organization My 5 Moments method to the Entry/Exit method. Under covert direct observation, Entry/Exit method opportunities were observed at all times. My 5 Moments were observable in 32.3% of episodes, with a lower rate in wards versus intensive care units (28.0% vs 39.4%; P < .01). In US hospitals, the Entry/Exit method appears to be more feasible for directly observed hand hygiene compliance monitoring due to line-of-sight issues and other barriers.