Program Will Monitor Maryland Doctors’ Handwashing

Maryland is starting to keep tabs on how often doctors and nurses wash their hands at hospitals.

Officials said Tuesday they’re creating teams of staff members at most of the state’s hospitals to monitor their colleagues. The monitors will be given time separate from their daily duties to contribute to a systemwide report on hand-washing.

Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown says individuals who are lax on scrubbing up won’t be penalized. Rather, the idea is to raise awareness and gather information about which hospital staffs need to do a better job.

Better hand-washing habits should cut down on health care-acquired infections, which increase health care costs around the country by an estimated $30 billion each year.

The Maryland program will use about $100,000 in federal stimulus money.

Latest Comments

• November 6, 2009 at 7:45 am

  youngin' says:

  You have to rub your hands for 20 seconds because you just spent time in a McDonalds bathroom. If you are going from a McDonalds bathroom straight in to perform a surgery, it... read more
• November 5, 2009 at 2:48 am

  Another Idea says:

  Why not just let 60 Minutes do a story on the doctors who don't wash their hands instead? They'd do it for free; it's what they do already. They'd be happy to do it; it's a ... read more
• November 6, 2009 at 2:37 am

  Actuary says:

  I was reading the directions at McDonalds on how employees should wash their hands, and it involves rubbing your hands together for at least 20 seconds. Seems like way more t... read more