title: Continuing performance feedback and use of the ultraviolet visible marker to assess cleaning compliance in the healthcare environment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Environmental surfaces have long been suspected to be a reservoir that could contribute to the presence of micro-organisms in healthcare facilities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of providing weekly feedback to the housekeeping staff in improving and sustaining cleaning compliance when using ultraviolet visible marker (UVM) as an audit tool.
  
  
  METHODS
  The housekeeping staff selected 90% as the cleaning compliance target. The UVM was applied to the toilet seat, sink, soap dispenser and door knob surfaces within the patient's washrooms on consecutive weekdays. The study included three arms: staff in arm 1 received cleaning compliance feedback throughout the 24-week study period, arm 2 and arm 3 staff received feedback for weeks 13-24 and weeks 1-12, respectively. Feedback was also provided to housekeeping staff by posting graphs on the wards and in the housekeeping office.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A pre-study audit showed 66.9%, 66.5% and 66.4% cleaning compliance for arms 1, 2 and 3 respectively. While receiving weekly feedback, all three arms demonstrated significantly improved cleaning compliance (86.7%, 80.4% and 73.7% for arms 1, 2 and 3, respectively). The use of casual staff may have contributed to difficulty in achieving better cleaning compliance as arms 1, 2 and 3 had 16.1%, 26% and 40.3% of shifts filled by casual staff, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of UVM as an audit tool combined with weekly feedback of results to housekeeping staff resulted in significant, sustained improvement in the overall level of cleaning compliance of housekeeping staff.
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; St Boniface Research Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors: A N
authors: AN
authors: Trajtman
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Manickam
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Macrae
authors: N S
authors: NS
authors: Bruning
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Alfa
mesh_terms: D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards*; D006268:Health Facilities; D006797:Housekeeping, Hospital / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D011786:Quality Control; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents