To anyone outside of the clinical setting, a high-five is a lighthearted way to acknowledge an accomplishment. Within the walls of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health facilities, a high-five is the first step to stopping health-care-associated infections.
In 2016, Nursing Infection Prevention Champions at Lancaster General Hospital used the Continuous Improvement process to develop ideas that would keep hand hygiene top of mind within their department. After evaluating a variety of positive verbal reminders that staff could use to reinforce effective hand hygiene practices, the team developed the Hy5 campaign.
At LG Health, Hy5 not only stands for hand hygiene, but also includes the five touchpoints of patient care defined by the Centers for Disease Control. These areas include cleaning hands via antiseptic foam or washing prior to touching a patient, before an aseptic procedure, after bodily fluid exposure, and after touching the patient or the patient’s surroundings.
“According to the CDC, hand hygiene is a simple but effective way to control infection in the medical setting. Our goal is to hold ourselves at a higher standard so our patients have the best possible outcomes,” said Bonnie Byerly, nurse manager, 5 Lime, LGH.
Charlene Haley, cardiovascular clinical nurse specialist, said, “We knew we needed reminders beyond visual triggers, so that our teams could hold each other accountable while keeping a safe, supportive environment.”
Hy5 was implemented throughout the Nursing department and shared with stakeholders during an Infection Control and Prevention meeting.
“At the meeting, it was decided that the program should be expanded beyond Nursing, so that all LG Health staff would be aware of infection control and proper hand hygiene,” said Haley.
As the Hy5 program rolled out during its first year, Hy5 Ambassadors were established within each department to help educate staff and evaluate areas of improvement.
In 2017, the Infection Control team observed that 91 percent of staff were compliant with Hy5 practices. In 2018, the total increased to 93 percent compliance. Today, the goal is to increase compliance among new and current staff, and also help patients and their families implement healthy behaviors while receiving care and at home.