Be Safe Not Sorry: Teaching Patients Proper Handwashing Technique

Guest: Gregory A. Poland, M.D. (@drgregpoland)

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. (@ChutkaMD)

Many of us learned how to wash our hands at a very early age and have relearned the importance and proper technique periodically along the way. Research suggests that many people may not be doing it correctly. Dr. Greg Poland a Professor of Medicine in Infectious Disease at the Mayo Clinic joins us for National Hand Washing Awareness Week to discuss some tips and tricks to share with your patients to ensure they’re reaching the full potential of this life-saving technique. He’ll also answer questions like does it matter if the water is hot? Is handwashing with soap more effective than anti-bacterial gel or lotions? And, when should we be washing our hands?

Additional resources mentioned (not an endorsement or affiliation):

Glo Germ: Visual Tool for Handwashing

• https://www.glogerm.com/

Jimmy Kimmel and Guillermo Learn How to Wash Their Hands

• https://youtu.be/sJfsyhQ0oBs

Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.