'Yuck factor' may prompt better hand hygiene

From politics to commerce to sex, the feeling of disgust can affect you in subtle ways and now, a team of researchers has revealed that the yuck factor can help boost hand hygiene compliance among health care workers.

Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital observed that showing magnified images of bacteria found on things common in the health care environment like a mouse pad or work station, even a person's hand, swayed workers in four patient care units to do a better job of cleaning their hands. Compliance rates improved on average by nearly 24 percent.

Co-authors Ashley Gregory and Eman Chami said that they both were surprised by the results.

Gregory said "These images put a face to the continuous hand hygiene education that health care workers get. They stick in your mind." Chami added, "They gross you out and they really magnify what people can't see."

The study has been presented at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology's annual conference.