Skip to main content
. 2017 Sep 1;2017(9):CD005186. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005186.pub4

Munoz‐Price 2014.

Methods Design: RCT with cross‐over
Study period: Dates not stated.
Each participant was randomised to receive either the intervention or control first, was monitored for all activities with 1 patient (up to 120 minutes), then within a month was re‐monitored in the opposite arm
 USA
Participants Anaesthesiologists and CRNAs
Interventions Placement of ABHR dispenser on cart + wall vs wall only
Outcomes Observation of hand hygiene compliance
Notes Appropriate analysis
Observer effect not a concern since participants did not know what outcome was being measured
Funding source: GoJo provided the alcohol product and dispensers
Declaration of interest: None
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Random‐number generator used to select OR, then group allocation determined by electronic files based on previous block randomisation
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Low risk Participants assigned to start as intervention or control prior to start of study, then evaluated within 30 days in opposite allocation; did not know what outcome was being assessed
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk ABHR dispenser was visible on cart but researchers said that participants were not aware of what was being assessed
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 All outcomes High risk Outcomes were not assessed blindly
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Missing data (missed opportunities) unlikely to be very different in different arms
Similar loss to follow‐up in both groups
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk No evidence of selective reporting
Other bias Low risk No evidence
Baseline outcomes Unclear risk Baseline hand hygiene not reported
Baseline characteristics Low risk Similar baseline characteristics
Protection from contamination High risk Participants were assessed once with intervention and once with control conditions but were blinded to outcome being assessed. They may have learned to look for ABHR on the cart when in the intervention arm first, affecting behaviour when they crossed over to the control arm