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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2019 Jan;80(1):26-34.
doi: 10.1111/cod.13148. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Evaluating the effect of electronic monitoring and feedback on hand cream use in healthcare workers: Healthy Hands Project

Maryam Soltanipoor  1   2 , Thomas Rustemeyer  2 , Judith K Sluiter  1 , John Hines  3 , Federico Frison  4 , Sanja Kezic  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Evaluating the effect of electronic monitoring and feedback on hand cream use in healthcare workers: Healthy Hands Project

Maryam Soltanipoor et al. Contact Dermatitis. 2019 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk of developing hand dermatitis (HD). Current guidelines on HD prevention recommend the use of emollients; however, in practice, adherence is poor.

Objective: To assess whether the provision of creams, electronic monitoring and feedback on cream consumption can improve skin care in HCWs.

Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted on 19 academic hospital wards, including 501 HCWs, for 12 months. The intervention wards (n = 9; 285 HCWs) were provided with hand cream dispensers equipped with an electronic system to monitor use, which was regularly communicated to the HCWs by the use of posters. The process outcomes were self-reported cream consumption in both groups, and electronically measured consumption per ward in the intervention group (IG) vs the control group (CG).

Results: Self-reported cream use at follow-up was significantly higher in the IG than in the CG, before (odds ratio [OR] 2.27; 95%CI: 1.29-3.97; P = 0.004) and during (OR 3.30; 95%CI: 1.80-6.06, P < 0.001) the shift, whereas at baseline there was no difference between the groups. In the IG, electronically measured cream use was, on average, 0.4 events per shift per HCW.

Conclusion: The intervention improved hand cream use, and may therefore be considered as a practical strategy to promote skin care in HCWs. Notwithstanding this, the application frequency remained lower than recommended in the present study and current guidelines.

Keywords: hand dermatitis; healthcare; irritant contact dermatitis; occupational; prevention.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no potential conflict of interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Self‐reported hand cream use before, during and after the shifts in the intervention group vs the control group. HCW, healthcare worker
Figure 2
Figure 2
Average number of total cream application events per month illustrated for all intervention wards together. Education was provided every 3 months. Feedback posters were delivered every month starting from April
Figure 3
Figure 3
Toilets, staff rooms and corridors are illustrated as the most popular locations, and patient rooms as the least popular. Between 10 am and 3 pm, creams are used most often. Data were recorded during the trial from August 2016 to December 2017
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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