Southeast VA Medical Centers improve hand hygiene practices & reduce HAIs using Get Well
Two Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in a Southeastern VISN partnered with Get Well in August 2023 to identify a path to reduce HAIs through improved hand hygiene practices.
About the Southeast VA Medical Centers
- Location: Southeast
2
hospitals- 726 total beds
- Implemented 2017 & 2019
- Opportunity: Improve hand hygiene practices for clinicians and patients to reduce Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs)
Get Well Solution:
- Get Well Inpatient
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, millions of people acquire an infection while receiving care, treatment, and services in a healthcare organization each year.
Two Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in a Southeastern VISN partnered with Get Well last August to identify a path to reduce Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI) through improved hand hygiene practices. These hospitals leveraged Get Well technology to enhance patient awareness of their own hand washing process, as well as encourage monitoring of their clinicians. Through a simple prompt and opportunities for continued education, the facilities observed a significant decrease in Hospital Acquired Infections. Get Well is a key component of these VA Medical Centers’ strategy to reduce HAIs, enhance patient education and increase patient engagement.
In August 2023, two Southeast Veterans Affairs Medical Centers collaborated with Get Well to enhance patient experience and outcomes, and one area of focus was on hand hygiene awareness. Leveraging the Get Well Inpatient platform, the teams aimed to reduce HAIs, improve hand hygiene, and augment patient engagement.
The Results
63%
Reduction in HAIs at one VA Healthcare System
43%
Reduction in HAIs at the other VA Healthcare System
53%
Average reduction of HAIs at both VA Healthcare Systems
Goals
- Increase staff monitoring
- Increase patient education to improve their own hand hygiene- it was noted that patients’ own hand hygiene was often neglected
- Decrease Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs)
The Solution
- Two VA Medical Center Infection Control Teams met with Get Well team members in July 2023
- The teams added a simple question, prompting inpatients twice a day via their Get Well TV: “When entering your room did the healthcare worker (Doctor, Nurse, Other) wash their hands with soap and water or use the hand sanitizer?”
- The patients were also prompted to view hand hygiene videos in the Get Well platform