U.S. Hospitals Show Improvements in Hand Hygiene

The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers, released its 2024 Hand Hygiene Report. Since Leapfrog began public reporting on hand hygiene in 2020, the percentage of hospitals meeting its rigorous standards has soared from 11% to 74% by 2023.

The report reveals a 78% rise in hospitals holding leadership directly accountable for hand hygiene through performance reviews or compensation adjustments, suggesting that hand hygiene—and the safety of patients—is increasingly a priority among hospitals. Improved hand hygiene is a vital intervention for reducing healthcare-associated infections and enhancing patient safety in hospitals.

“We believe transparency and high standards truly galvanize change, and we are proud to recognize the hospital leaders, clinicians, and teams that so successfully make that change,” said Leah Binder, The Leapfrog Group President and CEO.

The report also reveals a dramatic increase in the adoption of electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems. In 2020, only 4.7% of hospitals employed such technology; by last year, this figure had more than doubled to 10%. This growth demonstrates a broader trend toward integrating advanced tools to address the limitations of human observers.

Leapfrog’s Hand Hygiene Standard mandates that clinicians and staff adhere to hand hygiene best practices from a national Hand Hygiene Expert Panel and is adapted from the World Health Organization’s Hand Hygiene Self-Assessment Framework.