Overview

• Sensors installed in two public toilet rooms at Copenhagen’s Bispebjerg Hospital tracked faucet use over 19 weeks to measure actual handwashing behavior.
• Researchers recorded that 43.7% of users did not activate the taps within two minutes before or four minutes after flushing, with rates reaching 61.8% in peak weeks.
• Lead authors Pablo Pereira-Doel and Benjamin Gardner say inconsistent hygiene in hospital restrooms poses serious infection-control risks and call for focused public education efforts.
• The German Federal Institute for Public Health has issued guidelines recommending a 20- to 30-second wash and the use of disposable towels or elbows to operate faucets.
• By relying on sensor data rather than self-reporting, the study highlights persistent gaps in post-pandemic hygiene compliance in critical healthcare settings.