The impact of an effective 3-step hand hygiene technique in reducing potentially pathogenic microorganisms found on nursing professionals' hands.

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare-associated infections are concerning adverse events and hand hygiene is considered an essential preventive measure. The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of a correct 3-step hand hygiene technique on reducing of potentially pathogenic microorganisms on hands related to the WHO five moments for hand hygiene. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was performed by means of direct observation involving 60 Intensive Care Units (ICU) and clinical nursing professionals in a Brazilian hospital. Observations were performed in order to ascertain the adherence rate and the correct technique during health assistance. Additionally, microbiological analysis of material collected from the nursing professional's hands was carried out. Exploratory and inferential analyses were performed on R software and binomial analysis was carried out by using the Z-test. The study was approved by the research ethics committee and covered all the legal principles for the protection of human subjects. RESULTS: Hand hygiene adherence rate was 63.3%. However, only 13.3% of the professionals performed the correct 3-step hand hygiene technique regarding steps and time. Sixty-five microorganisms were isolated, among which 56.9% were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, 26.2% were Gram-negative bacilli, 7.7% were Enterococcus faecalis, and 6.2% were Candida parapsilosis. There was no presence of potentially pathogenic microorganisms on the nursing professional's hands who performed the correct three-step technique. CONCLUSIONS: Overall correct hand hygiene technique was poor. The results indicated the presence of potentially pathogenic microorganisms at moments in which hand hygiene was mandatory but was not executed or was executed incorrectly. The 3-step hand hygiene technique proved to be effective when correctly performed since there were no microorganism growth. Larger studies are needed to test if these results can be replicated at a larger scale, since streamlining hand hygiene technique yielded encouraging results.

Toward Explainable Affective Computing: A Review.

Affective computing has an unprecedented potential to change the way humans interact with technology. While the last decades have witnessed vast progress in the field, multimodal affective computing systems are generally black box by design. As affective systems start to be deployed in real-world scenarios, such as education or healthcare, a shift of focus toward improved transparency and interpretability is needed. In this context, how do we explain the output of affective computing models? and how to do so without limiting predictive performance? In this article, we review affective computing work from an explainable AI (XAI) perspective, collecting and synthesizing relevant papers into three major XAI approaches: premodel (applied before training), in-model (applied during training), and postmodel (applied after training). We present and discuss the most fundamental challenges in the field, namely, how to relate explanations back to multimodal and time-dependent data, how to integrate context and inductive biases into explanations using mechanisms such as attention, generative modeling, or graph-based methods, and how to capture intramodal and cross-modal interactions in post hoc explanations. While explainable affective computing is still nascent, existing methods are promising, contributing not only toward improved transparency but, in many cases, surpassing state-of-the-art results. Based on these findings, we explore directions for future research and discuss the importance of data-driven XAI and explanation goals, and explainee needs definition, as well as causability or the extent to which a given method leads to human understanding.

Localization of the SureWash Pocket® mobile health app to Brazilian Portuguese.

OBJECTIVES: To localize the textual interface of the SureWash Pocket® mobile health app and to present the methodological experience used in the localization process. METHOD: Software localization study to Brazilian Portuguese. The localization process was carried out between December 2018 and June 2019 in the city of Cuiabá/MT, through six steps: permission to localize the software; two independent translations; synthesis of translations; evaluation of the validity of the textual interface by a Committee of Expert Judges; back translation; and publication. RESULTS: The textual interfaces were organized into 107 items and analyzed by ten expert judges. In the first round, 64% of the items reached a pre-established minimum agreement level of 90%. During the second round, 39 remaining items were adapted according to consensual suggestions and the pre-final version was consolidated. CONCLUSION: The localization process suggests that the localized SureWash Pocket® is considered valid and can be used for an educational intervention on hand hygiene.

Using Artificial Intelligence in Infection Prevention.

Purpose of Review: Artificial intelligence (AI) offers huge potential in infection prevention and control (IPC). We explore its potential IPC benefits in epidemiology, laboratory infection diagnosis, and hand hygiene. Recent Findings: AI has the potential to detect transmission events during outbreaks or predict high-risk patients, enabling development of tailored IPC interventions. AI offers opportunities to enhance diagnostics with objective pattern recognition, standardize the diagnosis of infections with IPC implications, and facilitate the dissemination of IPC expertise. AI hand hygiene applications can deliver behavior change, though it requires further evaluation in different clinical settings. However, staff can become dependent on automatic reminders, and performance returns to baseline if feedback is removed. Summary: Advantages for IPC include speed, consistency, and capability of handling infinitely large datasets. However, many challenges remain; improving the availability of high-quality representative datasets and consideration of biases within preexisting databases are important challenges for future developments. AI in itself will not improve IPC; this requires culture and behavior change. Most studies to date assess performance retrospectively so there is a need for prospective evaluation in the real-life, often chaotic, clinical setting. Close collaboration with IPC experts to interpret outputs and ensure clinical relevance is essential.

The impact of automatic video auditing with real-time feedback on the quality and quantity of handwash events in a hospital setting.

BACKGROUND: Poor quality handwashing contributes to the spread of nosocomial infections. We investigate the impact of automatic video auditing (AVA) with feedback on the quality and quantity of handwashing in a hospital setting. METHODS: AVA systems were mounted over all handwash sinks in a surgical unit. Phase 1 established baseline handwashing quality and quantity. Phase 2 examined the impact of real-time performance feedback, and phase 3 examined the incremental impact of weekly team performance reports. Phase 4 remeasured the baseline without feedback. RESULTS: A total of 3,606 handwash events were audited. During phase 2 and 3, compliance with the World Health Organization technique improved from 15.7%-46% (P < .0001), and the average number of handwash events per patient per day increased from 0.91-2.25 (P < .0001). Performance returned to baseline in phase 4. CONCLUSIONS: AVA with real-time feedback significantly improved the quality and quantity of handwashing. The combination of AVA with electronic monitoring will allow simultaneous auditing of hand hygiene quantity and quality. The impact of cognitive offloading onto the technology may have contributed to the return to baseline at the end of the study, and suggests further research is required in this area.

Localization of the SureWash Pocket® mobile health app to Brazilian Portuguese / Regionalización de la aplicación móvil de salud SureWash Pocket® al portugués de Brasil / Localização do aplicativo de saúde móvel SureWash Pocket® para o português do Brasil

ABSTRACT Objectives: To localize the textual interface of the SureWash Pocket® mobile health app and to present the methodological experience used in the localization process. Method: Software localization study to Brazilian Portuguese. The localization process was carried out between December 2018 and June 2019 in the city of Cuiabá/MT, through six steps: permission to localize the software; two independent translations; synthesis of translations; evaluation of the validity of the textual interface by a Committee of Expert Judges; back translation; and publication. Results: The textual interfaces were organized into 107 items and analyzed by ten expert judges. In the first round, 64% of the items reached a pre-established minimum agreement level of 90%. During the second round, 39 remaining items were adapted according to consensual suggestions and the pre-final version was consolidated. Conclusion: The localization process suggests that the localized SureWash Pocket® is considered valid and can be used for an educational intervention on hand hygiene.

RESUMEN Objetivos: Localizar la interfaz textual de la aplicación de salud móvil SureWash Pocket® y presentar la experiencia metodológica utilizada en el proceso de localización. Método: estudio de localización de software para portugués brasileño. El proceso de localización se llevó a cabo entre diciembre de 2018 y junio de 2019 en Cuiabá/MT, a través de seis pasos: permiso para localizar el software; dos traducciones independientes; síntesis de traducciones; evaluación de la validez de la interfaz textual a cargo de un Comité de Jueces Expertos; traducción inversa; y publicación. Resultados: Las interfaces textuales se organizaron en 107 elementos y fueron analizadas por diez jueces expertos. En la primera ronda, el 64% de los artículos alcanzó un nivel de acuerdo mínimo preestablecido del 90%. Durante la segunda ronda, 39 elementos restantes se adaptaron de acuerdo con sugerencias consensuadas y se consolidó la versión pre-final. Conclusión: El proceso de localización sugiere que la aplicación SureWash Pocket® localizada se considera válida y puede usarse para intervenciones educativas sobre higiene de las manos.

RESUMO Objetivos: Realizar a localização da interface textual do aplicativo de saúde móvel SureWash Pocket® e apresentar a experiência metodológica utilizada no processo de localização. Método: Estudo de localização de software para o português do Brasil. O processo de localização foi realizado entre dezembro de 2018 e junho de 2019, em Cuiabá/MT, mediante seis etapas: permissão da localização do software; duas traduções independentes; síntese das traduções; avaliação da validade da interface textual por Comitê de Juízes Especialistas; tradução reversa; e publicação. Resultados: As interfaces textuais foram organizadas em 107 itens e analisadas por dez juízes especialistas. Na primeira rodada, 64% dos itens alcançaram nível mínimo de concordância pré-estabelecido de 90%. Durante segunda rodada, 39 itens remanescentes foram adequados conforme sugestões consensuais e consolidou-se a versão pré-final. Conclusão: O processo de localização sugere que o SureWash Pocket® localizado é considerado válido e poderá ser utilizado para intervenção educacional sobre higiene das mãos.

Training to Proficiency in the WHO Hand Hygiene Technique.

OBJECTIVES: Hand hygiene is critical to patient safety, but low performance in terms of the quantity and quality of hand hygiene is often reported. Training-to-proficiency is common for other clinical skills, but no proficiency-based training program for hand hygiene has been reported in the literature. This study developed a proficiency-based training program to improve hand hygiene quality in line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and assessed the amount of training required to reach proficiency. The training was delivered as part of a 5-day induction for students on the Physician Assistant online program. METHODS: A total of 42 students used a simulator to objectively measure hand hygiene technique over a 5-day period. Proficiency was achieved when students demonstrated all 6 steps of the WHO technique in less than 42 seconds. The students also completed a postintervention questionnaire. RESULTS: The average training episode lasted 2.5 minutes and consisted of 4.5 hand hygiene exercises. The average student completed 5 training episodes (1 per day) taking a total of 17 minutes. A total of 40% (17) of the students achieved proficiency within the 5 days. Proficiency was strongly correlated with the number of training exercises completed (r = 0.79, P < .001) and the total time spent training (r = 0.75, P < .001). Linear regression predicted that the 32 hand hygiene exercises or a total of 23-minute training were required to achieve proficiency. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to develop a train-to-proficiency program for hand hygiene quality and estimate the amount of training required. Given the importance of hand hygiene quality to preventing health care-associated infections (HAIs), medical education programs should consider using proficiency-based training in hand hygiene technique.

Pilot study of digital tools to support multimodal hand hygiene in a clinical setting.

BACKGROUND: Digital tools for hand hygiene do not share data, limiting their potential to support multimodal programs. The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom, worked with GOJO (in the United States), MEG (in Ireland), and SureWash (in Ireland) to integrate their systems and pilot their combined use in a clinical setting. METHODS: A 28-bed medical oncology unit piloted the system for 5 weeks. Live data from the tools were combined to create a novel combined risk status metric that was displayed publicly and via a management Web site. RESULTS: The combined risk status reduced over the pilot period. However, larger and longer duration studies are required to reach statistical significance. Staff and especially patient reaction was positive in that 70% of the hand hygiene training events were by patients. The digital tools did not negatively impact clinical workflow and received positive engagement from staff and patients. The combined risk status did not change significantly over the short pilot period because there was also no specific hand hygiene improvement campaign underway at the time of the pilot study. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that integrated digital tools can provide both rich data and novel tools that both measure impact and provide feedback to support the implementation of multimodal hand hygiene campaigns, reducing the need for significant additional personnel resources.

The Impact of Structured Incentives on the Adoption of a Serious Game for Hand Hygiene Training in a Hospital Setting.

Hand hygiene is recognized by the CDC as the most effective method of preventing Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) which cost the US healthcare system $14 Billion. However, training and promotion of hand hygiene in healthcare settings is an on-going challenge. This paper describes a hand hygiene improvement campaign in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (Scotland, UK) using the SureWash gesture recognition system (SureWash, IRL). The campaign consisted of two phases of three-months each; the first phase involved technology evaluation and familiarization in a variety of settings within the hospital. The second phase involved rotation between two units with specific changes to the incentives for completing the training. There were 2,010 individual training sessions with over 30% outside of office hours. Individuals completed an average of 2.72 training sessions each and 90% of staff passed the assessment. Senior staff noted a change in hand hygiene culture following the campaign and the good-natured competition between staff to demonstrate hand hygiene competence using the SureWash serious game. While the new technology did facilitate the culture change its successful implementation was dependent on a set of incentives for staff and a structured implementation plan.

Efficacy of a new educational tool to improve Handrubbing technique amongst healthcare workers: a controlled, before-after study.

INTRODUCTION: Hand hygiene is a key component of infection control in healthcare. WHO recommends that healthcare workers perform six specific poses during each hand hygiene action. SureWash (Glanta Ltd, Dublin, Ireland) is a novel device that uses video-measurement technology and immediate feedback to teach this technique. We assessed the impact of self-directed SureWash use on healthcare worker hand hygiene technique and evaluated the device's diagnostic capacity. METHODS: A controlled before-after study: subjects in Group A were exposed to the SureWash for four weeks followed by Group B for 12 weeks. Each subject's hand hygiene technique was assessed by blinded observers at baseline (T0) and following intervention periods (T1 and T2). Primary outcome was performance of a complete hand hygiene action, requiring all six poses during an action lasting ≥20 seconds. The number of poses per hand hygiene action (maximum 6) was assessed in a post-hoc analysis. SureWash's diagnostic capacity compared to human observers was assessed using ROC curve analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-four and 29 healthcare workers were recruited to groups A and B, respectively. No participants performed a complete action at baseline. At T1, one Group A participant and no Group B participants performed a complete action. At baseline, the median number of poses performed per action was 2.0 and 1.0 in Groups A and B, respectively (p = 0.12). At T1, the number of poses per action was greater in Group A (post-intervention) than Group B (control): median 3.8 and 2.0, respectively (p<0.001). In Group A, the number of poses performed twelve weeks post-intervention (median 3.0) remained higher than baseline (p<0.001). The area under the ROC curves for the 6 poses ranged from 0.59 to 0.88. DISCUSSION: While no impact on complete actions was demonstrated, SureWash significantly increased the number of poses per hand hygiene action and demonstrated good diagnostic capacity.

Pilot evaluation of a ward-based automated hand hygiene training system.

A novel artificial intelligence (AI) system (SureWash; GLANTA, Dublin, Ireland) was placed on a ward with 45 staff members for two 6-day periods to automatically assess hand hygiene technique and the potential effectiveness of the automated training system. Two human reviewers assessed videos from 50 hand hygiene events with an interrater reliability (IIR) of 88% (44/50). The IIR was 88% (44/50) for the human reviewers and 80% (40/50) for the software. This study also investigated the poses missed and the impact of feedback on participation (+113%), duration (+11%), and technique (+2.23%). Our findings showed significant correlation between the human raters and the computer, demonstrating for the first time in a clinical setting the potential use of this type of AI technology in hand hygiene training.