Online Learning to Improve Hand Hygiene Knowledge and Compliance Among Health Care Workers

BACKGROUND: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a hand hygiene guideline for health care workers. The emergence of online learning approaches has introduced new opportunities for providing continuing education regarding hand hygiene. METHODS: This study assessed the effectiveness of an online continuing education program in increasing health care workers' knowledge of hand hygiene practices and guidelines and promoting behavioral change as measured by self-assessment of adherence to guidelines. A total of 256 health care workers at two hospitals completed all three sessions of the online continuing education program. RESULTS: Health care workers reported a significant improvement in hand hygiene knowledge and self-assessed compliance with hand hygiene behaviors. Most (97%) of the participating health care workers reported that the program was effective in improving clinical compliance behaviors. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicated that individual health care workers can and will use self-assessment to prompt improvement in hand hygiene.