Advisory Committee Chair
Larry Herald
Advisory Committee Members
Nancy Borkowski
Scott Buchalter
Jeff Szychowski
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2022
Degree Name by School
Executive Doctor of Science (DSc) School of Health Professions
Abstract
Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) are among the top five leading causes of death in the United States (Scott, 2009). Estimates of the annual direct medical costs of HAIs to U.S. hospitals have ranged from $28,400,000,000 to $33,800,000,000 (Scott, 2009). Many leading health care organizations have agreed that there is a link between infection prevention and the spread of HAIs (Allegranzi, 2009). This study explored health care workers’ hand hygiene compliance and whether automated compliance reporting improved compliance. A new system powered by technology called Near Field Magnetic Induction (NFMI) found a significant increase in compliance upon introduction of an automated report card being sent to participating healthcare workers. However, improved compliance dissipated over time and eventually moved back to pre-intervention levels. The study also found a noticeable discrepancy between healthcare workers perceived compliance rates and actual rates. The study highlights several areas for future study.
Recommended Citation
Ozburn, Thomas H., "The Effects of Near Field Magnetic Induction Monitoring of Health Care Workers' Hand Hygiene Compliance" (2022). All ETDs from UAB. 143.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/143
