Patient observation could be the key to healthcare worker hand hygiene, according to a new Canadian study published in the American Journal of Infection Control. Researchers at Women's College Hospital in Toronto asked patients to audit their healthcare professional's hand hygiene between August 2012 and June 2013 at Family Practice Health Centre, one of Ontario's largest clinics with an estimated 54,000 patient visits annually, according to an article in Infection Control Today. Researchers found that almost 97 percent of healthcare providers complied with hand hygiene before direct contact with the patient. Fifty-eight percent of providers audited reported a change in their hand-hygiene practices and 88 percent reported being more motivated to comply because they knew their patients were watching. Thirty-three percent said patients had more discussions about infection protection and control. Article