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Hand Hygiene Audit Tool

An observation form for auditing hand hygiene in treatment rooms. Watch real care, record each moment when hands should be cleaned and whether they were, then total the compliance rate at the bottom.

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Hand Hygiene Audit Tool

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Clinic

Observer

Date and time period

Area observed

Moments (CDC): 1 before touching a patient; 2 before an aseptic task; 3 soiled to clean site; 4 after patient/surroundings; 5 after body fluids; 6 after gloves off.

#
Staff role
Moment (1-6)
Hand rub
Soap and water
Missed
Gloves worn
Notes (feedback given)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Opportunities observed: ______ Hand hygiene done: ______ Compliance: ______ % Shared with team on: __________

When hands must be cleaned

CDC's hand hygiene recommendations for healthcare workers list the moments to clean hands: immediately before touching a patient; before an aseptic task such as handling an invasive device; before moving from a soiled body site to a clean one on the same patient; after touching a patient or their surroundings; after contact with blood, body fluids or contaminated surfaces; and immediately after removing gloves. Each is numbered on this form.

How to run the audit

  • Observe real care for a set period, such as 20 minutes, without interrupting treatment.
  • Each time one of the six moments happens, that's an opportunity: record the role, the moment, and whether hands were cleaned with hand rub or soap and water, or missed.
  • Total the opportunities and how many were met. Compliance = done ÷ opportunities × 100.
  • Give feedback the same day and share the rate with the team. Repeat monthly so the trend shows.

Questions

Do gloves replace hand hygiene?

No. CDC lists immediately after glove removal as a moment for hand hygiene, and OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires hands to be washed immediately or as soon as feasible after removing gloves.

How many observations make a useful audit?

Enough to cover each role and treatment room; many clinics aim for 20 or more opportunities a month. The trend over months matters more than any single audit.

Sources

General guidance, not legal or medical advice. Requirements vary by state; follow your medical director and product labels.