Coughs, colds, hoarseness - it's noticeable everywhere at the moment. The Robert Koch Institute assessed around 5.0 million new cases of acute respiratory illnesses in Germany in the first calendar week of 2026 alone. Especially in such phases, a simple but highly effective measure comes into focus: hand hygiene.
Two Bachelor's theses in the Field of Study Human Centricity at Aalen University of Applied Sciences now show why hand hygiene often fails in everyday life - and how it can be improved in concrete terms. The staff worked on the project in cooperation, cooperative venture, partnership, collaboration with Heidenheim Hospital.
Ronesa Rusinovci investigated/analyzed hand washing, Sofia Koulakioti hand disinfection and the question of why good knowledge is so rarely translated into consistent action.
Hand washing: well known - but often implemented incorrectly
The results are clear: hand washing is the most important measure in everyday life, but it is often incomplete. In the accompanying online survey, most participants knew that thorough hand washing is important - but only a small proportion correctly implemented all the recommended steps. The thumbs, interdigital spaces and fingertips are particularly frequently forgotten, and washing is far too short (less than 20 seconds).
The reasons for this lie less in a lack of knowledge than in everyday routines: Time pressure, convenience and the feeling that "just a quick one" is sufficient. Observations in public toilets also showed that although the information posters are correct in terms of content, they are not placed where the decision to wash hands is actually made - directly at the sink.
Hand disinfection: uncertainty instead of clarity
Hand disinfection revealed another problem: uncertainty. Many respondents are unsure when disinfection is appropriate and when it is not. Studies show that information for the medicine context (e.g. WHO models) is often misunderstood or misinterpreted in everyday life. This leads to myths such as: "Disinfection replaces hand washing" - which is not true.
In fact, hand washing is sufficient in most everyday situations. Disinfection is particularly useful when none is available or in special risk situations. At the same time, the observation showed that disinfectant dispensers are often poorly visible - out of sight or in places where they are hardly noticed in everyday life.
Key finding: behavior fails due to small hurdles
Both studies come to a common core conclusion: hand hygiene rarely fails due to a lack of knowledge, but rather due to small but decisive hurdles in everyday life. This is precisely where the human-centered design approach comes in.
Concrete, immediately implementable recommendations were derived from the Studies:
- Short, visual cues directly at the washbasin, not on the wall next to it
- Clear guidance: "When to wash hands - when to disinfect?"
- Reduction to the essentials instead of overloaded information posters
- Reminders at the right moment, exactly where the decision is made
In this way, hand hygiene is not morally demanded, but practically facilitated - to protect one's own health and that of others.
The Field of Study Human Centricity with the degree programs User Experience, Information Design and Human-Centered Design is supported by VDD - Vorsorgedienst Deutschland GmbH. The company operates the platform zahnzusatzversicherungen-vergleich.com and is committed to prevention and practical health solutions that are suitable for everyday use.
