Top

Journal of Public Health

Published in:

Open Access 20-06-2022 | COVID-19 | Original Article

The impact of activating an empathic focus during COVID19 on healthcare workers motivation for hand hygiene compliance in moments serving the protection of others: a randomized controlled trial study

Authors: Claudia Sassenrath, Svenne Diefenbacher, Viktoria Kolbe, Heide Niesalla, Johannes Keller

Published in: Journal of Public Health | Issue 9/2023

Abstract

Aim

The “Five moments of hand hygiene” (World Health Organization 2009) can be classified into moments of hand hygiene before and after patient care. Based on research indicating that hand hygiene compliance differs with regard to moments before and after patient care, this research evaluates the effectiveness of an empathy-based intervention in motivating hand hygiene compliance with regard to moments before patient care which protect vulnerable individuals from contamination and infection.

Subjects and method

An online experiment involving 68 healthcare professionals working at a German hospital during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic investigates whether instructing healthcare professionals to consider consequences for others (vs for themselves) if they contracted SARS-CoV-2 promotes hand hygiene compliance referring to moments before (vs after) patient care.

Results

In the condition in which healthcare professionals considered consequences for others if they contracted SARS-CoV-2 (other-focus condition), ratings of importance increased (M = 3.49, SD = 1.30) compared to the condition in which healthcare professionals considered consequences for themselves (M = 2.68, SD = 1.24), F(1,66) = 6.87, p = .011, _partη² = .09. Participants in the other-focus condition reported more intentions to comply with “before moments” in the future (M = 3.34, SD = 1.14) compared to participants in the self-focus condition (M = 2.77, SD = 0.80), F(1,66) = 6.15, p = .016, _partη² = .09.

Conclusion

Results indicate that activating an empathic focus in the context of the current pandemic promotes perceived importance and motivation of healthcare professionals to comply with moments aiming at protecting vulnerable others.

Available only for authorised users

Allegranzi B, Pittet D (2009) Role of hand hygiene in healthcare-associated infection prevention. J Hosp Infect 73:305–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2009.04.019CrossRefPubMed

Batson CD (2009) These things called empathy. In: Decety J, Ickes W (eds) The social neuroscience of empathy. MIT Press, Cambridge

Clancy C, Delungahawatta T, Dunne CP (2021) Hand hygiene-related clinical trials reported between 2014 and 2020: a comprehensive systematic review. J Hosp Infect 111:6–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2021.03.007CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R (1983) Perceived stress scale (PSS). J Health Soc Behav 24:285–296. https://doi.org/10.2307/2136404CrossRef

Davis MH (1983) Measuring individual differences in empathy: Evidence for a multidimensional approach. J Pers Soc Psych 44:113–126. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.44.1.113CrossRef

Ellingson K, Haas JP, Aiello AE et al (2014) Strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections through hand hygiene. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 35:937–960. https://doi.org/10.1086/677145CrossRefPubMed

Gundersborg Sandbøl S, Glassou EN, Ellermann-Eriksen S, Haagerup A (2022) Hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Am J Infect Control Mar 30 [Online ahead of print]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2022.03.014

Kingston L, O’Connell NH, Dunne CP (2016) Hand hygiene-related clinical trials reported since 2010: A systematic review. J Hosp Infect 92:309–320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2015.11.012CrossRefPubMed

Mo Y, Pham TM, Lim C, Horby P et al (2022) The effect of hand hygiene frequency on reducing acute respiratory infections in the community: a meta-analysis. Epidemiol Infect 150(e79):1–8. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268822000516CrossRef

Sassenrath C, Diefenbacher S, Siegel A, Keller J (2016) A person-oriented approach to hand hygiene behaviour: Emotional empathy fosters hand hygiene practice. Psych Health 31:205–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2015.1088945CrossRef

Sax H, Allegranzi B, Uckay I, Larson E, Boyce J, Pittet D (2007) ‘My five moments for hand hygiene’: a user-centred design approach to understand, train, monitor and report hand hygiene. J Hosp Infect 67:9–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2007.06.004CrossRefPubMed

Schreiber PW, Sax H, Wolfensberger A, Clack L, Kuster SP (2018) The preventable proportion of healthcare-associated infections 2005–2016: systematic review and meta-analysis. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 39:1277–1295. https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2018.183CrossRef

Sheeran P, Webb TL (2016) The intention–behavior gap. Soc Pers Psych Comp 10:503–518. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12265CrossRef

Stahmeyer JT, Lutze B, Von Lengerke T, Chaberny IF, Krauth C (2017) Hand hygiene in intensive care units: a matter of time? J Hosp Infect 95:338–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2017.01.011CrossRefPubMed

Tangney JP, Stuewig J, Mashek DJ (2007) Moral emotions and moral behavior. Annu Rev Psych 58:345–372. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.56.091103.070145CrossRef

Wetzker W, Bunte-Schonberger K, Walter J, Pilarski G, Gastmeier P, Reichard C (2016) Compliance with hand hygiene: reference data from the national hand hygiene campaign in Germany. J Hosp Infect 92:328–331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2016.01.022CrossRefPubMed

World Health Organization (2009) WHO guidelines on hand hygiene in health care: First global patient safety challenge. Clean care is safer care. WHO, Geneva. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2009/9789241597906_eng.pdf. Accessed 6 May 2022

World Health Organization (2020) Infection prevention and control during health care when novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection is suspected. Interim Guidance 2020. WHO, Geneva. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/10665-33149. Accessed 6 May 2022

Title: The impact of activating an empathic focus during COVID19 on healthcare workers motivation for hand hygiene compliance in moments serving the protection of others: a randomized controlled trial study
Authors: Claudia Sassenrath
Svenne Diefenbacher
Viktoria Kolbe
Heide Niesalla
Johannes Keller
Publication date: 20-06-2022
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keywords: COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
Published in: Journal of Public Health / Issue 9/2023
Print ISSN: 2198-1833
Electronic ISSN: 1613-2238
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-022-01725-z

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

The impact of activating an empathic focus during COVID19 on healthcare workers motivation for hand hygiene compliance in moments serving the protection of others: a randomized controlled trial study

Abstract

Aim

Subjects and method

Results

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Aim

Subjects and method

Results

Conclusion

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 9/2023

Neighbourhood school environment and dental care needs amongst 5-to-11-year-old children attending a local dental facility in South-East England

Health care seeking behavior for common childhood illnesses in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Social differentials in the impact of risk factor exposures on life expectancy and health expectancy

A qualitative analysis of facilitators and barriers to physical activity among patients with moderate mental disorders

Analysis of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) needs and PrEP use in Germany among men who have sex with men

Trust in Healthcare during COVID-19 in Europe: vulnerable groups trust the least