Implementing an electronic hand hygiene system improved compliance in the intensive care unit

•A sensor-based electronic hand hygiene system improved hand hygiene compliance in the intensive care unit.•Significant variations among providers in terms of hand hygiene compliance.•Hand rubbing duration in partial compliance occurrences did not change significantly over time. Hand hygiene (HH) compliance is low and difficult to improve among health care workers. We aim to validate an electronic HH system and assess the impact of this system on HH compliance and quality changes over time at both group and individual levels. An automated electronic HH system was installed in a 10-bed surgical intensive care unit. The full HH compliance rate increased significantly from 8.4% in week 1 to 20.5% in week 16 with week 10 being the highest (27.4%). The partial compliance rate maintained relative consistency between 13.2% and 20.0%. The combined compliance rate (full compliance rate + partial compliance rate) increased from 23.5% in week 1 to 34.6% in week 16 with week 10 being the highest (41.4%). We found significant variations among providers in terms of HH opportunities per shift, full compliance, partial compliance and combined compliance rates. The average duration of hand rubbing over time in partial compliance occurrences did not change significantly over time. A sensor-based platform with automated HH compliance and quality monitoring, real time feedback and comprehensive individual level analysis, improved providers’ HH compliance in an intensive care unit. There were significant variations among individual providers.