Setting the right foundations: improving the approach used to teach concepts of hand hygiene to medical students

A pre- and postintervention study was conducted to evaluate the impact of a new hand hygiene (HH) teaching module on the knowledge and attitudes amongst medical students towards HH. The teaching module significantly improved knowledge about HH indications and duration (T1 = 7.9, T2 = 9.2, T3 = 9.1; P = 0.001), the use of HH materials (T1 = 1.3, T2 = 3.8, T3 = 4.3; P = 0.004), and the 'Five Moments for HH' (T1 = 3.1, T2 = 6.7, T3 = 5.9; P = 0.012). It also improved the students' attitudes towards HH (T1 = 48.5, T2 = 56.2, T3 = 54.1; P = 0.04). Additional studies are warranted to evaluate the impact of this intervention on actual HH compliance of medical students. (C) 2017 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.