Anyone who knows me well also knows that I love a good hand washing as much as the next "germaphobe." Sometimes, when I'm feeling bored, I'll just go wash my hands for the thrill of it. I like to think clean hands help keep colds at bay. But, for health-care professionals, good hand-washing techniques are an essential part of patient care - they help prevent infection.
So I was quite pleased to see what may be the definitive statement on hand washing from the New England Journal of Medicine: A 14-minute, peer-reviewed educational video on proper hand hygiene techniques. The video is incredibly thorough and is also freely available for download.
Come to think of it, I should probably go practice those techniques now. You know, just to make sure I have them down.
Photo by Arlington County
