title: To ask or not to ask?: The results of a formative assessment of a video empowering patients to ask their health care providers to perform hand hygiene.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To formatively evaluate the Hand Hygiene Saves Lives video and explore the perceptions and expectations of health care providers and laypersons regarding hand hygiene (HH), health care-associated infections, and patient empowerment using the Health Belief Model as a framework.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four focus groups were conducted in February 2008 among laypersons (n = 18) and health care providers (n = 17). Qualitative data were coded for themes, and quantitative Likert scales ranging from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very) were analyzed using SPSS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Health care-associated infections were perceived to be somewhat common (mean, 3.4) and HH as very important (mean, 4.9). Laypersons reported being significantly more likely to ask their nurses (2.5 versus 4.3; P = 0.001) and physicians (3.3 versus 4.3; P = 0.010) to perform HH after viewing the video. The video's target audience was perceived to be families (42.0%) or patients (39.1%) and the message to be the importance of HH (45.5%) or creating comfort about asking (24.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Empowering patients using tools such as a video may be an important patient safety advance to improve HH in health care settings and prevent health care-associated infections.
authors: Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors: Amanda
authors: A
authors: Garcia-Williams
authors: Kristin
authors: K
authors: Brinsley-Rainisch
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Schillie
authors: Ronda
authors: R
authors: Sinkowitz-Cochran
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D055815:Young Adult