Utilizing an interview method to estimate potential bias in silent observer hand hygiene observations

Julie Slaughter; Elham Arya; Elizabeth Bell; Ashley Ayres; Elise M Martin; Graham M Snyder

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2022.11.022

Utilizing an interview method to estimate potential bias in silent observer hand hygiene observations

Am J Infect Control. 2023 Aug;51(8):964-966. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.11.022. Epub 2022 Dec 2.

Authors

Julie Slaughter¹, Elham Arya², Elizabeth Bell¹, Ashley Ayres¹, Elise M Martin³, Graham M Snyder⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, UPMC Presbyterian/Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA.
² Medical Technology, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
³ Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA; Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA.
⁴ Department of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, UPMC Presbyterian/Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA; Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA. Electronic address: snydergm3@upmc.edu.

PMID: 36463975
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.11.022

Abstract

Interviewed health care workers to determine whether they had noticed a silent hand hygiene observer, thereby determining the legitimacy of the silent observers. Data supported the observers were typically unseen, and potential observer bias had a negligible role in hand hygiene compliance.

Keywords: Hand hygiene; Observer bias.

MeSH terms

Cross Infection* / prevention & control
Guideline Adherence
Hand Disinfection
Hand Hygiene*
Health Personnel
Humans
Observation
Observer Variation