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Hand Hygiene

Every year in Canada patients die or become seriously ill from infections acquired in hospitals. It is estimated that at least 30% of hospital acquired infections are preventable. Bacteria that cause infections are most frequently spread from one patient to another on the hands of health care workers.

Scientific evidence shows that hand hygiene is the single most important way of controlling the spread of micro organisms which can cause infection.

In an effort to promote and improve hand hygiene, The Ottawa Hospital takes part in the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care's Just Clean Your Hands program. This evidence-based program builds on work done by the World Health Organization and the United Kingdom . It was specifically designed for Ontario hospitals and was successfully pilot tested in 10 Ontario hospitals, including The Ottawa Hospital.

The goals of the program are:

• Improve Hand Hygiene practices among health care workers
• Obtain and sustain long term improvment in the hand hygiene practices among Ontario's health care workers
• Build a culture of hand hygiene compliance where infection prevention and control is everyone's business.

For more information visit, Just Clean Your Hands