The economic gains of tissue paper’s hygiene benefits
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Background
The choice of hand-drying method affects microbial contamination levels but its economic consequences have not been systematically quantified.
Methods
By applying a quantitative microbial risk assessment framework, we translated the documented contamination differential between jet air dryers and paper towels into infection risk estimates, and embedded these into an established health economic model of healthcare-associated infections in NHS hospitals and an illustrative productivity analysis for the EU workforce.
Results
The median estimated avoidable HCAI cost attributable to jet air dryer presence in UK NHS clinical areas was £58 million per year, representing 2.1% of total HCAI expenditure for the affected hospital population, with a 50% certainty interval of £33-84 million. Extended to the EU workforce, the same contamination differential implied a median of €1.7 billion in € annual productivity gains, due to reduced absenteeism, for a shift to use of paper towels in public restrooms.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that hand-drying method selection carries measurable economic implications that are not currently reflected in facility management practice. The evidence supports the prioritisation of paper towels in clinical and public settings as a cost-effective infection control measure.
