“Many HAIs (healthcare-associated infections) are transmitted by healthcare personnel, and hand hygiene is a primary means to reduce these infections.” – Health Research & Education Trust, affiliate of the American Hospital Association

Hand hygiene noncompliance is a major contributor to the spread of HAIs. It’s also one of the easiest practices to improve. Symmetry’s goal is to provide products that healthcare workers want to use. With reliable dispensers and better products, healthcare workers are more likely to follow hand hygiene compliance policies.

Symmetry products are less likely to contribute to dry hands or leave sticky residue behind. Through clinical evaluation, Symmetry consistently proves to be the preferred choice of healthcare workers. Because Symmetry provides products that healthcare workers prefer, workers are more likely to clean their hands and help reduce the spread of germs.

To keep hand hygiene on the minds of staff, visitors, and patients, Symmetry offers the Symmetry Behavior Modification System (SBMS). SBMS utilizes behavioral science to drive hand hygiene compliance. With unique tools based on the six key tenets of benevolence, accountability, responsibility, variation, emotion, and direction, SBMS inspires immediate hand hygiene practices.

Symmetry also uses point of care tools to focus on the five moments for hand hygiene. The five moments for hand hygiene approach defines key moments when healthcare workers should perform hand hygiene. Symmetry’s point of care tools include suction cups, lanyards, and cart brackets to give healthcare workers easy access to hand hygiene opportunities while working directly with patients. 

The tools of the Symmetry® Hand Hygiene Program make it easier for healthcare workers to access Symmetry products. They keep hand hygiene on the minds of people throughout healthcare facilities and help convey the importance of hand hygiene. Contact your local Buckeye representative for more information on how Symmetry can help healthcare facilities fight HAIs.

As the importance of hand hygiene has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing a complete hand hygiene program in your facility can help provide peace of mind and reduce the spread of germs. The Symmetry Behavior Modification System (SBMS) is part of what makes the Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program unique. While other hand hygiene lines simply provide products, Symmetry works to develop a complete program that inspires better hand hygiene practices. Behavioral science has been key to developing tools any facility can use to encourage users to keep their hands clean.

Many major manufacturers employ people with PhDs in Behavioral Science to identify and capitalize on various stimuli that influence our behavior and, ultimately, lead us to purchasing their products. Behavioral science is behind the strategic placement of candy in checkout lanes at stores. Children can easily spot and grab candy while waiting for their parents to checkout. Once a candy bar is in a child’s hands, the likelihood that it will be purchased goes up significantly.

Symmetry worked with Dr. Adam Alter to discover ways behavioral science could be used to promote better hand hygiene. Dr. Alter has a PhD in Behavioral Science and is the New York Times best-selling author of Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces that Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave. Together, Symmetry and Dr. Alter created the Symmetry Behavior Modification System.

Unlike negative motivators, SBMS is based on six key tenets that offer a positive approach designed to inspire. Symmetry’s six tenets are benevolence, responsibility, accountability, variation, emotion, and direction. Each tenet offers a unique way to drive compliance.

Symmetry’s Behavior Modification tools include variety in dispensers. Symmetry dispensers come in various colors and can even be customized with your facility’s logo and colors. Dispensers can also be fitted with Visual Lighting Cues (VLCS). VLCS flash periodically to draw attention to dispensers and encourage an immediate hand hygiene event.

In addition to attention-drawing dispensers, Symmetry provides Behavior Modification placards. These cards sit atop dispensers and are customized with inspiring messages like, “Support Healthy Hands. It Only Takes 20 Seconds.” They are designed to be placed on dispensers throughout a facility to provide variation. The more variation in dispensers, the more likely it is that a user will notice an opportunity to sanitize or wash hands.

Finally, Symmetry provides floor decals in the shape of Happy Feet Biscuit Paws (a reference to the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program’s mascot Biscuit, the Paw Washing Dog), or custom options. Floor decals can be used to guide users towards dispensers and drive hand hygiene practices.

These added features can mean the difference between an effective hand hygiene program and an average hand hygiene program. The impact of COVID-19 has driven a need for hand hygiene products, but providing high quality products is just part of improving hand hygiene practices in any facility. Symmetry takes their program one step further by providing behavior modification tools to encourage users to take advantage of the high-quality hand hygiene products they have available to them. To find out how Symmetry can customize their Behavior Modification System to fit your facility, contact your local Buckeye representative.

Studies in behavioral science have shown that using colors, mirrors, floor decals, and other stimuli can influence human behavior. In grocery stores, manufacturers pay retailers to merchandise their products in strategic locations to increase the likelihood that those products will be purchased. Candy bars are strategically placed at the eye level of children to increase the likelihood of purchase. Some manufacturers will provide stores with floor decals that lead to their products.

Many manufacturers employ people with PhDs in Behavioral Science to identify the best way to stimulate a potential customer into making a purchase. The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program worked with Behavioral Scientist, Dr. Adam Alter, to find out how to increase hand hygiene practices with behavioral science.

Together, Dr. Alter and Symmetry came up with several behavior modification tools based on the six key tenets of benevolence, accountability, responsibility, variation, emotion, and direction. These include dispenser colors, placards, visual lighting cues, and floor decals that can be used in a variety of facilities. The Symmetry placards include messages or mirrors to encourage an immediate response. They are placed directly above a dispenser and can be rotated periodically. Symmetry dispensers can also be fitted with visual lighting cues. These flashing lights are designed to draw attention to dispensers. Floor decals offered by Symmetry can subtly direct individuals to dispensers.

All of these tools are designed to increase proper hand hygiene practices in your facility. They serve as reminders but are not intended to be used for all dispensers. The best way to implement Symmetry behavior modification system is to rotate the tools throughout the facility. This creates variation, changes sight-lines, and continues to capture attention.

The Symmetry Behavior Modification System is just one added benefit of the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program. Symmetry offers a complete line of hand hygiene products including hand sanitizers and hand washes. Symmetry dispensers are reliable with large sight windows for checking product levels. The program comes with education and awareness tools and everything your facility needs to improve hand hygiene practices.

Contact your local Buckeye representative to find out more about the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program and the Behavior Modification System.

Last year the spread of the flu reached epidemic levels across the United States. With flu season upon us, it’s important to remember the best ways to keep the flu at bay. The most effective way to prevent the flu is to get the flu vaccine. The CDC is recommending individuals get vaccinated by the end of October.

There are other important ways to prevent the spread of the flu. Because the flu is spread through contact, the CDC also recommends washing hands often. The CDC provides tips for when and how to wash your hands to help protect the health of those around you here.

In your facility, implementing a complete hand hygiene program can help reduce the spread of germs. The Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program has all the tools needed to tackle the flu in any facility. First and foremost, Symmetry products reduce common disease-causing bacteria. All Symmetry products clean your hands without drying them out or leaving behind a sticky residue.

Additionally, encouraging people in your facility to practice proper hand hygiene is one of the most important steps in reducing the spread of the flu and other germs. Symmetry has education and awareness tools like posters, wall charts, and handwashing videos designed to demonstrate and explain the importance of proper hand hygiene.

The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program also implements behavioral science with the Symmetry Behavior Modification System (SBMS). These tools help drive immediate hand hygiene practices, encouraging people to wash or sanitize their hands with eye-catching placards and signs. Both SBMS and education and awareness tools offered by Symmetry can be customized for any facility. Use your facility logo, colors, or catchphrase to help inspire proper hand hygiene.

The flu can spread fast, but Symmetry hand hygiene products and tools can help keep the well-being of the people in your facility in mind. Contact your local Buckeye representative to find out more about Symmetry and fighting the flu.

In a 1980s strength test, participants stared at a piece of navy blue paper for 15-20 seconds and then had their strength measured. Next, they stared at a piece of pink paper for 15-20 seconds and, again, had their strength measured. No matter which color they stared at first, the results were the same – there was a significant drop in strength after staring at the pink paper.

Studies like this are the reason why the visitor’s locker room at the University of Iowa is painted pink. They are also the reason major manufacturers employ behavioral scientists to identify and capitalize on various stimuli that influence our behavior and, ultimately, lead us to purchasing their products. The Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program has partnered with Dr. Adam Alter, who has a PhD in Behavioral Science, to create the Symmetry Behavior Modification System (SBMS).

The goal of SBMS is to provide tools that capture attention in the moment, driving an immediate hand hygiene event to take place. Based on the 6 key tenets of benevolence, accountability, responsibility, variation, emotion, and direction, Symmetry’s behavior modification tools include custom colored dispensers, placards, visual lighting cues, and floor decals.

Beyond dispenser color, Symmetry’s placards are designed with inspiring messages to encourage hand hygiene. Custom dispensers can also be equipped with visual lighting cues (flashing lights) to draw attention and impact behavior. Symmetry’s floor decals provide direction and guide people towards better hand hygiene.

When asked about the impact SBMS has had in her healthcare facility, one infection preventionist said, “I was just washing my hands in the public bathroom that has a sign saying, ‘You can make a difference doing something this simple.’ Such a simple statement says so much and can make such a huge difference in how we protect ourselves and our patients here. We don’t have to preach to people. Just saying it simply can get to the heart of the matter. I’m glad we have those visuals for staff, family, and patients so they can all join in!”

Hand hygiene is one of the most important steps in reducing the spread of germs. The Symmetry Behavior Modification System, coupled with Symmetry’s preferred formulas, maximizes hand hygiene compliance, helping to keep people in your facility healthy.

Contact your local Buckeye representative to learn more about the Symmetry Behavior Modification System and the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program.

Symmetry® Moisturizing Hand Lotion gently moisturizes and conditions to alleviate dry hands. It has been tested by dermatologists and is compatible with latex, vinyl, nitrile, and CHG. It is fragrance-free, dye-free, and contains Aloe and vitamin E.

Like all Symmetry products, Symmetry Moisturizing Hand Lotion is dispensed from a no-drip system. Its packaging is hermetically sealed and contaminate free, guaranteeing 99% product evacuation. This means money won’t be wasted on product left in discarded containers.

The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program includes a complete line of hand hygiene products including lotions, hand sanitizers, and hand washes. Symmetry products reduce the spread of germs and their packaging is BPA (bisphenol A) free.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) state that hand hygiene is one of the most important steps in reducing the spread of germs. Symmetry manufactures products that people want to use to encourage hand hygiene acceptance in your facility. The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program comes complete with the Symmetry Behavior Modification System, a system that uses unique placards and signs with messages to inspire and maximize hand hygiene practices. Symmetry’s placards, signs, and dispensers can be customized with your color, logo, and message.

Contact your local Buckeye representative to test and evaluate Symmetry products in your facility.

APIC, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, the largest infection prevention conference in the world, is next week! From June 14th-16th in Portland, Oregon, healthcare professionals will come together to learn about advances in infection prevention.

This is the 44th Annual Conference. It will feature over 90 educational sessions and workshops, and over 270 exhibits. Thousands of healthcare professionals come to learn from infection prevention experts and experience the latest technology through hands-on demonstrations.

Visit the Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program booth #909. Clean hands are the first and simplest step to reducing the spread of germs. Learn how to increase hand hygiene compliance rates in your healthcare facility with the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program by visiting us at APIC.

To learn more about APIC, visit their website.

 

Hand hygiene noncompliance is a major contributor to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program accounts for the importance of hand hygiene acceptance and provides products that healthcare workers want to use.

One common hand hygiene problem encountered in healthcare facilities is complaints of hand dryness, itchiness, or redness after continued use of hand sanitizer. When these complaints arise, employees, patients and visitors are less likely to practice proper hand hygiene.

Facilities that test Symmetry products overwhelmingly choose Symmetry over other hand hygiene products in quality, fragrance, drying time, feel, and comfort.

Symmetry matches the quality of its products with its customizable options. Symmetry dispensers are ADA compliant and can be customized with colors, logos, and behavior modification placards to inspire hand hygiene. Customizable education and awareness tools such as signs, posters, and wall charts are also available to assist in creating a culture of hand hygiene.

Symmetry also offers various point-of-care items such as brackets, lanyards, and suction cups for healthcare workers, patients, and visitors needing quick access to hand sanitizer.

Above all, the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program recognizes that in order to achieve hand hygiene compliance in healthcare facilities, healthcare staff must like the product. If healthcare workers like the hand hygiene products, they will use those products and, as a result, help prevent HAIs.

Contact your Symmetry representative to schedule a Symmetry Challenge and evaluate the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program against other hand hygiene products.

A quality hand hygiene program is more than just quality hand sanitizer and hand wash. The products need to be easily dispensed and available for use in key areas throughout a facility.

Symmetry dispensers feature large sight windows for checking product levels, and hidden and keyed integrated lock options. The dispensers may be customized with your logo, message, and color. Symmetry also has Symmetry Visual Light Cue (VLC) dispensers that have a flashing light on them to draw attention to the dispensers and increase proper hand hygiene usage. A study done by the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) concluded that a flashing light increased compliance by 49%!

Symmetry dispensers can also be installed on Symmetry dispenser stands. Well-placed sanitizing stands promote the use of hand sanitizer, and help further reduce the spread of germs. Symmetry stands are best located in high traffic and highly visible areas such as front entrance foyers, patient waiting areas, elevator banks, and lunch rooms. Each stand is freestanding, 50 inches tall, weighs 30 lbs., and is available in black or white. Symmetry stands and dispensers are part of the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program.

The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program offers a complete set of customizable education and awareness tools to assist in creating a culture of hand hygiene. You can customize informative education and awareness pieces that focus on the “how” and “why” of proper hand hygiene. This includes wall charts, posters, handwashing videos, and product literature. There is also the Symmetry Behavior Modification System, SBMS, which uses behavioral science to drive hand hygiene practices. It incorporates 6 key tenets to inspire hand hygiene compliance including: Benevolence, Accountability, Responsibility, Variation, Emotion, and Direction. The goal of SBMS is to provide tools that capture attention in the moment, driving an immediate hand hygiene event to take place. Symmetry not only provides products for proper hand hygiene, but provides the awareness pieces and tools to understand it. Contact today to learn more.

A hand hygiene program is complete only when you have all of the necessary components. The Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program offers a complete line of hand hygiene products, including quality hand sanitizers. The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program has three different hand sanitizers that can fit your facility’s hand hygiene product needs.

 

Symmetry’s Non-Alcohol Foaming Hand Sanitizer is a rich foaming, waterless hand sanitizer that reduces common disease-causing bacteria. It contains allantoin and aloe, that will leave hands refreshed even after repeated use. It dries quickly, has a mild sweet fragrance, and doesn’t contain triclosan. Another option is Symmetry’s Foaming Hand Sanitizer that contains 62% w/w ethyl alcohol, aloe, and vitamin E. It also does not contain triclosan and is available unscented. A third option is Symmetry’s Gel Hand Sanitizer. It will leave hands feeling refreshed without leaving a sticky residue. With all of these hand sanitizers you can apply gloves with ease after sanitizing and it does not dry out hands.

Symmetry hand sanitizers are packaged in hermetically sealed plastic bags and pump bottles that have a “no-drip” system. The packages are contaminate-free and allow for 99% product evacuations. You will not be wasting dollars discarding containers that do not utilize all of the hand sanitizer! Learn more about Symmetry hand sanitizers and the Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program here.

The Symmetry Hand Hygiene program has more than just effective hand sanitizers. It offers a full line of hand washes, lotions, and dispensers complete with education, awareness and behavior modification tools, and training for all markets. One example of additional tools available is the Symmetry Behavior Modification System. It is a set of unique placards and signs with messages designed to inspire hand hygiene. There are even wall charts, posters, product literature, and hand washing videos to help you maximize hand hygiene practices in your facility. Symmetry understands the importance of proper hand hygiene, and provides not only the products, but also the education and awareness necessary to reinforce it.