Pilot testing

Pilot testing to assess acceptability is strongly recommended before final selection, aiming at fostering a system change and involving the users in the selection of the product they like most and therefore are most likely to use. Characteristics that can affect HCWs' acceptance of a hand hygiene product include dermal tolerance, skin reactions to the product, and its characteristics such as fragrance, consistency, and colour.

Structured, self-administered questionnaires may be useful tools to assess HCWs’acceptability of hand hygiene products. A standardized and validated survey to evaluate acceptability and tolerability among HCWs is available within the WHO Guidelines Implementation Toolkit (http://www.who.int/gpsc/en/).

Such tools should be adapted to the local setting because of differences in socio-cultural backgrounds and user clinical practices. It is thus very important that these questionnaires are first piloted.

FEM Contributors

• Vladimir Prikazsky
• Gaetano Privitera