Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33711939›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2021

A spatiotemporal simulation study on the transmission of harmful microorganisms through connected healthcare workers in a hospital ward setting.

J M van Niekerk, A Stein, M H E Doting, M Lokate, L M A Braakman-Jansen, J E W C van Gemert-Pijnen

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

J M van NiekerkDepartment of Psychology, Health and Technology/Center for eHealth Research and Disease Management, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands. j.m.vanniekerk@utwente.nl.
A SteinDepartment of Earth Observation Sciences, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
M H E DotingDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
M LokateDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
L M A Braakman-JansenDepartment of Psychology, Health and Technology/Center for eHealth Research and Disease Management, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
J E W C van Gemert-PijnenDepartment of Psychology, Health and Technology/Center for eHealth Research and Disease Management, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.

Funding

Interreg 122084Interreg 202085
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHand transmission of harmful microorganisms may lead to infections and poses a major threat to patients and healthcare workers in healthcare settings. The most effective countermeasure against these transmissions is the adherence to spatiotemporal hand hygiene policies, but adherence rates are relatively low and vary over space and time. The spatiotemporal effects on hand transmission and spread of these microorganisms for varying hand hygiene compliance levels are unknown. This study aims to (1) identify a healthcare worker occupancy group of potential super-spreaders and (2) quantify spatiotemporal effects on the hand transmission and spread of harmful microorganisms for varying levels of hand hygiene compliance caused by this group.

methodsSpatiotemporal data were collected in a hospital ward of an academic hospital using radio frequency identification technology for 7 days. A potential super-spreader healthcare worker occupation group was identified using the frequency identification sensors' contact data. The effects of five probability distributions of hand hygiene compliance and three harmful microorganism transmission rates were simulated using a dynamic agent-based simulation model. The effects of initial simulation assumptions on the simulation results were quantified using five risk outcomes.

resultsNurses, doctors and patients are together responsible for 81.13% of all contacts. Nurses made up 70.68% of all contacts, which is more than five times that of doctors (10.44%). This identifies nurses as the potential super-spreader healthcare worker occupation group. For initial simulation conditions of extreme lack of hand hygiene compliance (5%) and high transmission rates (5% per contact moment), a colonised nurse can transfer microbes to three of the 17 healthcare worker or patients encountered during the 98.4 min of visiting 23 rooms while colonised. The harmful microorganism transmission potential for nurses is higher during weeknights (5 pm - 7 am) and weekends as compared to weekdays (7 am - 5 pm).

conclusionSpatiotemporal behaviour and social mixing patterns of healthcare can change the expected number of hand transmissions and spread of harmful microorganisms by super-spreaders in a closed healthcare setting. These insights can be used to evaluate spatiotemporal safety behaviours and develop infection prevention and control strategies.

Indexed as

Computer SimulationHealth PersonnelSpatio-Temporal AnalysisCross InfectionHand HygieneHospitalsHumansNursesRadio Frequency Identification DeviceRiskHand hygiene complianceHealthcare-associated infectionsRFIDSpatiotemporal riskSpatiotemporal simulationTransmissionWearable proximity sensors

Identifiers

PMID33711939
PMCPMC7953685

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.