Emergency medical providers don't wash their hands, study finds

Like many doctors, emergency medical providers are also hand-hygiene offenders, according to preliminary study findings from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital that were presented at the American College of Emergency Physicians annual meeting. CBSNews.com reports that the study finds only 13 percent of the 1,500 emergency medical providers surveyed washed their hands before patient contact. In addition, only 52 percent of emergency care respondents--which included first responders, emergency medical providers, paramedics and a few physicians--said they wear gloves with every patient contact. The study, which is considered preliminary because the findings aren't published yet in a peer-reviewed journal, suggests a need to better educate emergency medical providers about hand-hygiene guidelines. Article