A Quantitative Approach to Defining High-Touch Surfaces in Hospitals

Fifty interactions between healthcare workers and patients were observed to obtain a quantifiable definition of high-touch (ie, frequently touched) surfaces based on frequency of contact. Five surfaces were defined as high-touch surfaces: the bed rails, the bed surface, the supply cart, the over-bed table, and the intravenous pump. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2010; 31(8):850-853