Clinical Research Directory

Tailor VHA HH Bundle for Acute Mental Health Care

Mental health settings are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks and transmission due to infectious pathogens like norovirus. This occurs since access to soap and water (sinks) is limited for safety reasons and alcohol hand rub is not available outside patient rooms because of concerns for ingestion and fire. Thus, novel hand hygiene improvement interventions are needed in mental health settings including new hand hygiene bundles tailored to VHA mental health settings and novel alcohol-free hand rubs that are safe for installation and use in mental health settings. Non-alcohol hand rub has been approved and is currently used in some VAs, but isn't currently a standard VA-wide practice. These products can expand access to hand hygiene in locations where alcohol-based products are not allowed.