Patient Program Kicks Off During Hand Hygiene Awareness Week
By Ben Avey, USNH Yokosuka Public Affairs



Did you wash your hands?

A simple question at the heart of a new program kicking off at U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Yokosuka during Hand Hygiene Awareness Week observed Dec. 5-11.

The program, titled “It’s OK to Ask,” empowers patients to interact with medical caregivers regarding basic hand hygiene safety to help prevent the spread of illness, disease and infection in the hospital.

Per hospital regulations, at a minimum, caregivers are required to sanitize their hands by washing with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel such as Purell in view of the patient before and after care. A myriad of factors determine whether soap or gel is used and that too is open to question under the new program.

While hand hygiene is a standard precaution in all medical settings, it is important to implement programs that continually reinforce the practice said Lt. Cmdr. Michael Termini, USNH Yokosuka Preventive Medicine Department head and Infection Control Committee member.

“Patients are often their own best advocates in health care and we want to empower that advocacy, let them know that we are all on the same page working to provide the safest and highest quality healthcare possible,” said Termini. “We can’t shy away on this; we all need to be involved.”

“It’s OK to Ask” will add to other quality management programs already in place which includes spot checks and performance improvement reviews to ensure continued education and compliance with current hospital hand hygiene policy.

“I have faith in the staff here but it never hurts to ‘up the ante’ by asking and empowering patients to get involved” said USNH Yokosuka Patient Safety Manager Edwin Hanson. “When it comes to patient safety, patients and staff alike can never be too vigilant.”

Hand Hygiene Awareness Week will also include a robust schedule of continuing education programs regarding the latest research on hand hygiene, infection control protocol and notification of updates to local policies for hospital staff members.

“We have to remain diligent and engaged at all times to prevent the spread of infection and disease, even when it comes to the most mundane and common preventative measures like hand hygiene,” said Termini. “That is how you keep patients safe.”

“It’s OK to Ask” materials including educational brochures and promotional materials will remain in use through 2011. While the current focus is on hand hygiene, other safety and patient empowerment themes will be woven into the program in coming months.

The program is based upon a patient safety initiative titled “Speak Up” created by The Joint Commission, which is the independent, not for profit body who accredits and certifies more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States and military treatment facilities worldwide.

Some people may find Peter Chao offensive, so if you do, PLEASE DO NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO.  He is a comedian.

Peter Chao says: "Why dont people wash their hands"

It seem related in a way, to this post above..

PEOPLE WASH YOUR HANDS!!!