Increasing hand washing compliance with a simple visual cue.
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 24228670.
- Also identified by DOI 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301477 and PMC identifier 4167083.
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Abstract
We tested the efficacy of a simple, visual cue to increase hand washing with soap and water. Automated towel dispensers in 8 public bathrooms were set to present a towel either with or without activation by users. We set the 2 modes to operate alternately for 10 weeks. Wireless sensors were used to record entry into bathrooms. Towel and soap consumption rates were checked weekly. There were 97,351 hand-washing opportunities across all restrooms. Towel use was 22.6% higher (P=.05) and soap use was 13.3% higher (P=.003) when the dispenser presented the towel without user activation than when activation was required. Results showed that a visual cue can increase hand-washing compliance in public facilities.
Medical subject headings
- Audiovisual Aids
- Hand Disinfection