Canadian patient safety group launches handwashing campaign

Patient Safety Monitor Alert

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June 13, 2007

The Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) on Sunday announced a new handwashing campaign targeted at physicians and nurses that aims to reduce patient infections by 10% to 30% in the next three years, according to the Globe and Mail. The program begins this summer with a 10-hospital pilot project and expands across Canada in the fall. It will encourage medical workers to use alcohol-based hand sanitizers between patients to properly clean their hands and reduce infections. Health Canada estimates that hospital infections kill 8,000 to 12,000 patients each year, the Globe and Mail reported.