A ban on handshakes for healthcare workers suggested

Banning handshakes from healthcare settings may help reduce spreading disease, according to a recent editorial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The essay, written by physicians from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, suggests that handshakes be replaced with an alternative gesture since only 40% of healthcare personnel comply with hand hygiene programs.

Possible alternatives to the handshake suggested were bowing, placing a hand over the heart, or simply waving. Even “fist bumping” has been found to decrease cross-contamination of bacteria.

The editorial’s writers concluded that more research into a possible ban is required. Also, due to the handshake’s cultural significance as a greeting and sign of empathy and compassion, any plan to replace it faces an uphill challenge and would require widespread media and educational programs.