Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) of 6 Versus 3 Steps for Hand Hygiene (SHoRT)

Glasgow Caledonian University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Hand Hygiene

Treatments: Other: 3 step technique; Other: 6 step technique

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02396836

SIRN04 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

12-170

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim is to compare the effectiveness of the 6 step hand rub technique versus 3 step hand rub technique in hand coverage and in reducing bacterial contamination on the hands of healthcare workers in practice.

Research questions

1. What is the effectiveness of the 6 step technique in hand coverage compared to the 3 step technique?

   1. What are the most frequently missed sites in hand surface coverage using 6 steps compared to 3 steps?
   2. What is the reduction in bacterial contamination of the hand with the 6 step compared to the 3 step technique?

2. Does site missed or coverage relate to bacterial load?

3. What is the time taken for 6 step technique versus 3 step technique?

Full description

The 6 step for decontamination of healthcare workers hand is recommended by the World Health Organization but the 3 step technique is easy to perform and has been shown by some studies to be effective. Compliance with the 6 step technique is not optimum. If the 3 step was more as or more effective than the 6 step compliance with it could be compared with that for the 6 step. No randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of these two techniques using alcohol based hand rub has been conducted.

Enrollment: 120 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Medical and nursing staff performing a clinical procedure

Exclusion criteria

• A procedure requiring use of gloves
• A self declared active skin condition

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

120 participants in 2 patient groups

6 step hand hygiene technique

Active Comparator group

Description:

Hand decontamination with alcohol hand rub using the World Health Organisations 6 step technique

Treatment:

Other: 6 step technique

3 step hand hygiene technique

Experimental group

Description:

Hand decontamination with alcohol hand rub using the 3 step technique

Treatment:

Other: 3 step technique