Me    3 posts   Re: Topic 6 DQ 1  From a financial perspective, hand hygiene is the most cost effective evidence based measure in healthcare systems. Moreover, a lack of investment in hand washing results in increased healthcare costs, decreased productivity or loss of life. According to McLaws (2015), hand hygiene has a relation with job attendance, thereby affecting staff performance. The costs of operating healthcare facilities remain a cardinal aspect that greatly depends on hand washing.According to infection prevention and control specialists, hand hygiene is recognized as the single most crucial intervention deployed to reduce the spread of infections both in the clinical setting and the community. Based on the fact that hands are the most viable modes of transmission and contact between people as well as innate objects, it is important to use water and soap or any alcohol based hand wash. Hand hygiene is paramount to patient safety and quality of healthcare outcomes. Based on the assessment of McLaws (2015), there is a relationship between hand hygiene and healthcare associated infections. The hands of healthcare workers are the most common avenue for the transmission of pathogens from patient to patient. In this light, healthcare workers can dictate the quality of healthcare outcomes when attending to patients.The compliance of hand hygiene has been critical in addressing infections. Bacteria alone accounts for ninety percent of infections while ten percent comprises of fungi and bacteria. Infection control on open wounds and cuts should be considered. Against this backdrop, frequent hand wash audits should be conducted in healthcare organizations to improve compliance. Healthcare organizations should invest in hand wash products and make them accessible to doctors, nurses and visitors alike.      References  McLaws, M. L. (2015). The relationship between hand hygiene and health care-associated infection: it’s complicated. Infection and drug resistance, 8 (7).