How a smiley protects health: A pilot intervention to improve hand hygiene in hospitals by activating injunctive norms through emoticons

PloS One
Susanne GaubeEva Lermer

Abstract

Hand hygiene practice in hospitals is unfortunately still widely insufficient, even though it is known that transmitting pathogens via hands is the leading cause of healthcare-associated infections. Previous research has shown that improving knowledge, providing feedback on past behaviour and targeting social norms are promising approaches to improve hand hygiene practices. The present field experiment was designed to direct people on when to perform hand hygiene and prevent forgetfulness. This intervention is the first to examine the effect of inducing injunctive social norms via an emoticon-based feedback system on hand hygiene behaviour. Electronic monitoring and feedback devices were installed in hospital patient rooms on top of hand-rub dispensers, next to the doorway, for a period of 17 weeks. In the emoticon condition, screens at the devices activated whenever a person entered or exited the room. Before using the alcohol-based hand-rub dispenser, a frowny face was displayed, indicating that hand hygiene should be performed. If the dispenser was subsequently used, this picture changed to a smiley face to positively reinforce the correct behaviour. Hand hygiene behaviour in the emoticon rooms significantly outperformed the...Continue Reading

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Citations

May 11, 2019·Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology : the Official Journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America·Sarah A StellaHeather L Young
Nov 5, 2019·Frontiers in Psychology·Qiyu BaiMaokun Yang
Feb 12, 2020·Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control·Nasim LotfinejadDidier Pittet
May 1, 2021·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Yolisa NaluleRobert Dreibelbis
Aug 1, 2021·The Lancet Infectious Diseases·Nasim LotfinejadDidier Pittet
Jun 7, 2021··René F. KizilcecJi Yong Cho

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