title: The use of passive visual stimuli to enhance compliance with handwashing in a perioperative setting.
abstract: To encourage handwashing, we analyzed the effect that a passive visual stimulus in the form of a picture of a set of eyes had on self-directed hand hygiene among health care staff.
  
  
  
  This was a prospective, single-blind study using a repeated measure design. Four dispensers of alcohol foam located in positions identified as #1, #2, #3, and #4 were used to deliver a single uniform volume of alcohol foam in an automated fashion. Pictures of eyes were placed on dispensers #1 and #3 but not dispensers #2 and #4 for 1 time period. The visual stimulus was rotated with each study time period. At the end of each study period, the volumes dispensed were examined to determine if the visual stimulus had a statistically significant influence on the volume dispensed.
  
  
  
  There were a total of 6 time periods. The average volume dispensed in stations with eyes was 279 cc versus that in the stations without eyes, which was 246 cc, and this was a statistically significant difference (P = .009).
  
  
  
  The correct visual stimuli may enhance compliance with hand hygiene in health care settings.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Administration, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL.
authors.forename: Tammy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Beyfus
authors.affiliation: Department of Hospital Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL.
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.affiliation: Nursing Administration, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL.
authors.forename: Cynthia H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Danner
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences Research, Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL.
authors.forename: Bhupendra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rawal
authors.affiliation: Administrative Operations, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL.
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL. Electronic address: petrou.steven@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Petrou
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method
keywords: Alcohol foam dispenser