OBJECTIVE Hospital visitors pose a risk for transmitting pathogens that can cause health care-associated infections. The present study aimed to test an evidence-based intervention to improve visitors' hand hygiene behavior through persuasive messages. METHOD For the 14-week-long field experiment, 7 signs were designed according to the principles of persuasion proposed by Cialdini: reciprocity, consistency, social-proof, unity, liking, authority, and scarcity. Each sign was displayed on a screen for 1 week directly above the hand-rub dispenser in a hospital lobby. After each 1-week posting, the screen was blank for 1 week. RESULTS An electronic monitoring system counted 246,098 people entering and leaving the hospital's lobby and 17,308 dispenser usages. The signs based on the authority and the social-proof principles significantly increased the hand-rub dispenser usage rate in comparison to the average baseline usage rate. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that simple and cost-efficient interventions can initiate expedient behavior change in hospitals. However, the findings also highlight the importance of careful planning and rigorous pretesting of material for an intervention to be effective. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

中文翻译：

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有说服力的信息对医院访客手部卫生行为的影响。

目的医院来访者存在传播可能引起卫生保健相关感染的病原体的风险。本研究旨在测试一种有说服力的干预措施，通过有说服力的信息改善访客的手部卫生行为。方法在长达14周的野外实验中，根据Cialdini提出的说服原则设计了7个标志：互惠，一致，社交证明，团结，喜欢，权威和稀缺性。每个标志在医院大厅的手擦机上方的屏幕上显示1周。每次发布1周后，屏幕空白1周。结果电子监控系统对246,098人进出医院大厅和17308台饮水机进行了统计。与平均基准使用率相比，基于权限和社会证明原则的标志显着提高了手擦式分配器的使用率。结论这些结果表明，简单且经济高效的干预措施可以启动医院中的权宜之计。但是，研究结果还强调了进行有效干预的仔细计划和严格的材料预测试的重要性。讨论了这些发现的理论和实践意义。（PsycInfo数据库记录（c）2020 APA，保留所有权利）。研究结果还强调了进行有效干预的仔细计划和严格的材料预测试的重要性。讨论了这些发现的理论和实践意义。（PsycInfo数据库记录（c）2020 APA，保留所有权利）。研究结果还强调了进行有效干预的仔细计划和严格的材料预测试的重要性。讨论了这些发现的理论和实践意义。（PsycInfo数据库记录（c）2020 APA，保留所有权利）。