Our research demonstrated that hand hygiene increased when we installed Hand Hygiene Prompts. More importantly, the Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) rate decreased as hand hygiene compliance increased. The observed decreases in infection rates range from 20% to 40%. Hand Hygiene Prompts saved infections and dollars at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Hospital as shown below.

	Infections		Monthly
	per admit	per month*	Reduction in Infections	Savings**
Before HHP	9.4%	11.3	---
With HHP	7.5%	9.1	2.2	$44,500
After HHP	5.6%	6.8	4.5	$90,000

*based on 120 admits per month
**based on $20,000 per infection¹

Strains of Staphylococcus aureus with only intermediate susceptibility to vancomycin suggest that high-level vancomycin resistance may soon be seen. By encouraging good hand hygiene, Hand Hygiene Prompts reduces the need for vancomycin and other antibiotics, thereby discouraging the emergence of resistant bacteria in a cost-effective way.

References
1 Lipsett, John Hopkins University, personal communication, 2002.