New Virtual Reality training from Tork® is a game changer for improving hand hygiene compliance

Recent study shows that 80% of healthcare professionals say they would like to improve their hand hygiene compliance

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Oct 16, 2019, 09:00 ET

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent study shows 80% of healthcare professionals say they would like to improve their hand hygiene compliance. The survey covering more than 1,000 healthcare professionals in five different countries also revealed that 60% would like hand hygiene to be given higher priority in their unit, while 40% said they would like to receive better training in hand hygiene. It is a clear indication for management teams to improve hand hygiene training in healthcare facilities. To address hand hygiene issues within the healthcare industry, Tork—a brand of leading global hygiene and health company Essity—is one of the first to launch an interactive virtual reality (VR) hand hygiene training simulation.

In the virtual world, the player takes on the role of either a nurse or a physician on duty in a hospital unit. The player takes care of several patients and, depending on the player's level of success in complying with the World Health Organization's (WHOs) '5 Moments for Hand Hygiene', there are different results.

"Healthcare professionals are well aware of the importance of hand hygiene and this is part of their training. The exciting thing about this innovative training in virtual reality is that it allows professionals to test their knowledge in a safe simulation of a patient environment and to receive direct feedback and to learn from mistakes," says Professor Didier Pittet, Director, Infection Control Programme & WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety at the University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine Geneva, Switzerland.

Tork VR Clean Hands Training and Education is a supportive and beneficial solution, specifically designed to make hand hygiene training more engaging and inspiring. Putting on the VR headset, participants get ready to start a new shift at their healthcare workplace. Although they are in a virtual world, they face a series of real-life situations and practice hand hygiene compliance using their own hands. If participants fail to perform hand hygiene at the right moment, they can try again and will soon learn and adopt excellent hand hygiene standards – both in the virtual and in the real world.

"Four out of five healthcare workers say they would like to improve their hand hygiene compliance, and they want it to be based on facts and research. We collaborated with behavioral scientists, university hospitals and world leading experts in hand hygiene to provide an evidence-based solution that helps turn theory into practice," says Tom Bergin, Healthcare Marketing Director, Essity.

Proper hand hygiene is considered the single most important method of preventing and controlling infection in healthcare facilities. The Tork VR Clean Hands Training and Education offers a tangible solution for more regular hands-on training while allowing healthcare staff to train and improve on each of these critical moments for hand hygiene.

More information about Tork VR Clean Hands Training and Education:
All that is required is a VR compatible smartphone, a VR headset with a remote control or equivalent to steer the game, and the Tork VR Training app. The app is available via App Store and Google Play, and is free to download.

Find more information about:

For additional information, please contact:
Catherine Lincoln, Weber Shandwick, 212-445-8413, [email protected]

About Tork: The Tork brand offers professional hygiene products and services to customers worldwide ranging from restaurants and healthcare facilities to offices, schools and industries. Our products include dispensers, paper towels, toilet tissue, soap, napkins, wipers, but also software solutions for data-driven cleaning. Through expertise in hygiene, functional design and sustainability, Tork has become a market leader that supports customers to think ahead so they're always ready for business. Tork is a global brand of Essity, and a committed partner to customers in over 110 countries. To keep up with the latest Tork news and innovations, please visit www.torkusa.com.

About Essity
Essity is a leading global hygiene and health company dedicated to improving well-being through products and services, essentials for everyday life. The name Essity stems from the words essentials and necessities. Our sustainable business model creates value for people and nature. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands, such as JOBST, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, Vinda and Zewa. Essity has about 47,000 employees and net sales in 2018 amounted to approximately SEK 118.5bn (EUR 11.6bn). The headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. More information at www.essity.com.

SOURCE Essity