There is much promise and opportunity in the July 2020 announcement in Denmark that nursing homes would be opening up. Covid-19 created tragedy in elderly care communities globally and so the announcement came with a lot of positivity related to the efforts that had been made, thus far, to increase safety and health.
Recognizing that this is an important time for shaping the future of healthcare, Sani Nudge Clinical Director Dr. Marco Bo Hansen partnered with Professor Hans Jørn Kolmos, the Chief Physician of Clinical Microbiology at Odense University Hospital and the University of Southern Denmark and Sani Nudge Clinical Advisory member sought to share their knowledge of hand hygiene best practices.
Dr. Hansen and Prof. Kolmos activated two methods to spread the word. They presented their solutions to the Danish Parliament’s committee on Health and Elderly Care, a presentation which was met with general interest and support. They also co-authored an article an article in Berlingske, the Danish daily newspaper (and fittingly one of the oldest in the world) discussing these relevant topics. The article, in Danish, is titled Plejehjemmene åbner igen: Håndhygiejne og mentalhygiejne går hånd i hånd.
The health professionals recognize that society has been struggling with hand hygiene in the health sector for decades. All initiatives (posters, stickers, e-learning, etc.) have had limited impact for creating change with hand hygiene behaviors.
