{
  "abstract": "Objectives To identify factors influencing unnecessary non-sterile glove use in operating theatres and to estimate how common these factors are across the UK.Design Mixed-methods study using interviews and a cross-sectional survey.Setting Imperial College Healthcare Trust for interviews and nationally across the UK for the survey.Participants 19 interviewees and 329 survey respondents, all clinical staff working in UK operating theatres.Outcome measures Barriers and facilitators to unnecessary non-sterile glove use in operating theatres.Results The findings highlight a combination of key drivers leading to the unnecessary use of non-sterile gloves: (1) lack of prioritisation of sustainability, (2) fears around negative patient outcomes, (3) strong social influences such as norms to use gloves, (4) the absence of clear guidelines and limited training on glove use, (5) availability of alternatives and quality of gloves and (6) beliefs about personal safety and habitual glove use. Respondents also suggested potential intervention strategies.Conclusions 67% of participants reported using gloves unnecessarily. Our findings highlight the role of habitual behaviour, social influences and unclear guidelines in driving this practice. Interventions should address these factors, for example, by clearly communicating when gloves should and should not be worn, encouraging changes to local social norms towards waste reduction, improving access to hand gel and supporting habit change to reduce unnecessary glove use and associated environmental impact.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK",
        "Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands"
      ],
      "name": "Carys Batcup"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of General Surgery, St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK",
        "Department of Surgery and Cancer, St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Aws Almukhtar"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Surgery and Cancer, St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Aarya Menon"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of General Surgery, St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Daniel Leff"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Surgery and Cancer, St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Gaby Judah"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Pelin Demirel"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Talya Porat"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Exploring the overuse of non-sterile gloves in operating theatres: a cross-sectional survey and interview study",
  "uid": "e8cdc4ae-5364-5e61-b993-26c89ff32d45"
}