how effective is hand hygiene in preventing illness
1 Washing hands with the use of a water and soap or a soap solution, either non-antimicrobial or antimicrobial. 2  OR. 3  Applying a waterless antimicrobial hand rub to the surface of the hands (e.g. alcohol-based hand rub). 4  When performed correctly, hand hygiene results in a reduction of microorganisms on hands.
For the study, researchers observed a random selection of 42 doctors and 78 nurses at an urban teaching hospital. Printed on the walls in front of every washing station is a six-step technique that was determined by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be most effective at reducing bacteria. But in reality, only 65 percent of doctors and nurses studied complete this entire hand washing process.