Hands4U: Prevention of hand eczema among health care workers.

The Hands4U study is a randomised controlled trial. The goal of the study is to implement recommendations for the prevention of hand eczema among health care workers thereby preventing hand eczema to occur. Three hospitals in the Netherlands will participate in the study. Randomisation takes place on the levels of departments. The intervention consists out of a participatory working group, educational sessions, reminders and role models. The control groups only receives a leaflet containing the recommendations. Measurements take place at baseline and after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Questionnaires are the method of measurement. In total 3000 health care workers are recruited.

The hypothesis is: Using a multifaceted strategy, the implementation of recommandations will be more succesfull than by using a single strategy. The implemented recommandations will prevent hand eczema among health care workers.

Measurements take place at baseline and after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.

The randomisation to the intervention group or the control group takes place on the level of the departments of the participating hospitals to avoid contamination.



The control group will receive a leaflet of evidence based recommendations on prevention of occupational skin diseases derived from the guideline on contact dermatitis from the Dutch Board for Occupational Medicine (NVAB). If proven to be effective, the control group will also receive the implementation strategies for the prevention program at the end of this study after the last follow-up. Further, the control departments will receive questionnaires at baseline and follow up measurements.



The intervention group will receive the multifaceted implementation strategy which consist of an educational program, participatory working groups and role models. During the educational sessions workers receive information on (the prevention of) hand eczema.
The goal of the participatory working groups is to detect problems with the implementation of the recommendations. A group of 3 -5 workers will detect these problems, find solutions for it and implement these solutions at their department. These workers are also trained to become role models for their colleagues. The role models will place reminders at the department.
Further the intervention group will receive the same leaflet as the control group and the same measurements. The intervention group is also involved in the process evaluation and will receive questionnaires in a result of that.