Physician Leadership Journal
Should We Be Resurrecting the Handshake?
The traditional handshake, a 3,000-year-old symbol of trust and friendship, may need to be replaced with hand hygiene practices to reduce hospital-acquired infections and ensure safer patient interactions.
January/February 2025 Vol. 12, No. 1 pp. 54–55 DOI: 10.55834/plj.2555640520
Abstract
The simple handshake has been around for more than 3,000 years as a sign of friendship and as an indication that neither party is carrying a weapon. The physician-patient relationship often begins with a traditional handshake. Hand hygiene is an integral part of patient encounters to reduce the spread of infectious diseases; however, many physicians and allied health providers believe taking a break for hand hygiene interrupts the natural flow of the initial introduction and nonverbal body trust-inducing language. The elimination of the handshake may allow providers to focus on more culturally acceptable universal verbal and nonverbal communication skills that help us build essential trust with our patients. Yet, research indicates that handwashing reduces hospital-acquired infections, so it stands to reason that it should be integral to every patient visit.(1)
