Virtual reality improves hand hygiene in study

Virtual reality can be used as an educational tool to improve health care workers’ hand hygiene practices, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control. The training program improved overall hygiene adherence in virtual reality by 68%. The program used the World Health Organization’s “My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene” framework to provide feedback about pathogen transmission and hand hygiene adherence in four clinical scenarios to 68 registered nurses at four U.S. hospitals from February to March 2024. The authors say future research should evaluate whether the training translates to adherence in clinical settings and in reducing hospital-associated infections. (American Journal of Infection Control article, 1/15/25)