Hand hygiene in outpatient care, home-based care and long-term care facilities

To respond to the demand from national representatives and stakeholders around the world, the WHO Clean Care is Safer Care team HAS launched a WHO Guide on Hand Hygiene in Outpatient and Home-based Care and Long-term Care Facilities. Based on evidence from systematic reviews, experts' consensus and peer review, this document was developed thanks to the essential technical input and support of the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality of Spain. Critical technical input was also provided by the WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland. The main objective is to provide conceptual and practical guidance on the application of the WHO Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy and the My Five Moments approach in health-care settings where patients are not admitted as inpatients to a hospital. Target audience: All individuals providing health care in outpatient settings, long-term care facilities (LTCFs), or at home, especially infection control professionals if appointed. Decision- makers (managers) are also a key target audience. A wide range of practical examples of situations occurring in outpatient and home-based care and in LTCFs is included. Some practical tools for implementation (e.g. health-care workers' education, evaluation, posters) are available or being developed. The document can be downloaded from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/78060/1/9789241503372_eng.pdf?ua=1