VIRTUE - A Virtual Reality Trainer for Hand Hygiene

Abstract

Hand hygiene is an important measure to prevent healthcare-associated infections. However, healthcare provider adherence to hand hygiene remains low. Due to the invisible nature of microorganisms and delayed expression of healthcare associated infections, healthcare providers are rarely aware of transmission dynamics and they don't receive feedback about the consequences of missed hand hygiene. This situation makes it difficult to associate unsafe behaviors with their negative consequences. We introduce the concept of an experiential virtual training environment for hand hygiene, where feedback about microorganism transmission and infectious outcomes are introduced visually, thereby enhancing associative learning and increasing intrinsic motivation to perform hand hygiene.