Joint Commission International launches hand hygiene tool, helps hospitals reduce infections

OAK BROOK, Illinois, April 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Joint Commission International (JCI) is providing the Targeted Solutions Tool® (TST®) for Hand Hygiene at no additional charge to JCI-accredited health care organizations to help improve patient care and reduce health care-associated infections. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are affected by these infections every year, leading to patient mortality and financial losses for health care providers, according to the World Health Organization.

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The online tool was developed by the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare, a nonprofit affiliate of The Joint Commission, and has been tested by JCI-accredited health care organizations in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe. Pilot results showed a 72% improvement in hand hygiene practices and clinicians found the TST to be effective and easy to use.

"The TST is an innovative way to improve care and reduce devastating and costly health care-associated infections," explains Erin DuPree, MD, chief medical officer and vice president, Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare.

The TST guides health care organizations through an effective quality improvement project, providing a step-by-step process to collect baseline data, identify problem areas, implement solutions tailored to their staff needs, and track hand hygiene improvements. Users have access to real-time data analysis, training materials, and methods to chart progress.

"JCI partners with its accredited organizations on their performance improvement journey. This tool is another valuable resource offered to JCI-accredited hospitals and clinics to help them maintain the highest level of quality and patient safety," says Paul Chang, MD, vice president, Accreditation, Standards, and Measurement, JCI.

About Joint Commission International

Joint Commission International® (JCI) was established in 1994 as a division of Joint Commission Resources, Inc.® (JCR), a wholly controlled, not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission. Through international accreditation, advisory services, publications, and education programs, JCI extends The Joint Commission's mission worldwide by helping to improve the quality of patient care. JCI assists international health care organizations, public health agencies, health ministries, and others in more than 100 countries. Visit www.jointcommissioninternational.org for more information.

About the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare

Established in 2008, the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare aims to solve health care's most critical safety and quality problems. The Center's participants use a systematic approach to analyze specific breakdowns in care and discover their underlying causes to develop targeted solutions that solve these complex problems. Learn more at centerfortransforminghealthcare.org.