ArticleBMC infectious diseases2021
Healthcare professionals' experiences of being observed regarding hygiene routines: the Hawthorne effect in vascular surgery.
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 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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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.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Defining and evaluating the Hawthorne effect in primary care, a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Pooled it
- Fluorescent Marker Monitoring and Nurse-Led Feedback for Operating Room Environmental Cleaning: A Quasi-Experimental Single-Group Pre-Post Study.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2026Article
- Barriers and facilitators to data-informed care planning in long-term care in Nova Scotia, Canada: a qualitative study.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Adherence to basic hygiene routines in an infectious disease setting: associations with knowledge and professional role.Frontiers in public health · 2026Observational
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- Characteristics of Hearing Aid Use in Adolescents Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.Language, speech, and hearing services in schools · 2025Article
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- Burdens of infection control on healthcare workers: a scoping review.The Journal of hospital infection · 2024Article
- The usage of data in NHS primary care commissioning: a realist evaluation.BMC primary care · 2023Article
- Improving Patient Health Literacy During Telehealth Visits Through Remote Teach-Back Methods Training for Family Medicine Residents: Pilot 2-Arm Cluster, Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.JMIR formative research · 2023Article
- Evaluation of the Efficiency of Hand Hygiene Technique with Hydroalcoholic Solution by Image Color Summarize.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2022Article
- Uncovering Discrepancies in IV Vancomycin Infusion Records between Pump Logs and EHR Documentation.Applied clinical informatics · 2022Article
- Using artificial intelligence to reduce queuing time and improve satisfaction in pediatric outpatient service: A randomized clinical trial.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe Hawthorne Effect is the change in behaviour by subjects due to their awareness of being observed and is evident in both research and clinical settings as a result of various forms of observation. When the Hawthorne effect exists, it is short-lived, and likely leads to increased productivity, compliance, or adherence to standard protocols. This study is a qualitative component of an ongoing multicentre study, examining the role of Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy after vascular surgery (INVIPS Trial). Here we examine the factors that influence hygiene and the role of the Hawthorne effect on the adherence of healthcare professionals to standard hygiene precautions.
methodsThis is a qualitative interview study, investigating how healthcare professionals perceive the observation regarding hygiene routines and their compliance with them. Seven semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted, each interview included a different staff category and one individual interview with a nurse from the Department for Communicable Disease Control. Additionally, a structured questionnaire interview was performed with environmental services staff. The results were analysed based on the inductive qualitative content analysis approach.
resultsThe analysis revealed four themes and 12 subthemes. Communication and hindering hierarchy were found to be crucial. Healthcare professionals sought more personal and direct feedback. All participants believed that there were routines that should be adhered to but did not know where to find information on them. Staff in the operating theatre were most meticulous in adhering to standard hygiene precautions. The need to give observers a clear mandate and support their work was identified. The staff had different opinions concerning the patient's awareness of the importance of hygiene following surgery. The INVIPS Trial had mediated the Hawthorne effect.
conclusionThe results of this study indicate that the themes identified, encompassing communication, behaviour, rules and routines, and work environment, influence the adherence of healthcare professionals to standard precautions to a considerable extent of which many factors could be mediated by a Hawthorne effect. It is important that managers within the healthcare system put into place an improved and sustainable hygiene care to reduce the rate of surgical site infections after vascular surgery.
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Registered trials
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.