Last week I talked about the importance of a good handshake. This week I would like to continue to address the handshake and some concerns around it. A family member, who is also a doctor, gave me a copy of his JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) newsletter. One of the articles he wanted me to see was all about the handshake and the significant role it plays in transmitting disease.
First, let’s take a look at this social custom which is ingrained in so many, but by no means all, cultures. It is believed that the handshake started as a gesture of goodwill with the Greeks—revealing one’s open palm conveyed trust and the fact that no weapon was hidden. This open palm gesture evolved over time to what we see today as the handshake. It is used for greetings, to show respect, congratulations, used when departing one’s company, used to solidify formal agreements and more. There was a time when a person’s word and their handshake was all that was needed to seal a deal. While there may be many other forms of greeting around the world, in the world of business the handshake is still primarily the gesture that binds the agreement.
First, let’s take a look at this social custom which is ingrained in so many, but by no means all, cultures. It is believed that the handshake started as a gesture of goodwill with the Greeks—revealing one’s open palm conveyed trust and the fact that no weapon was hidden. This open palm gesture evolved over time to what we see today as the handshake. It is used for greetings, to show respect, congratulations, used when departing one’s company, used to solidify formal agreements and more. There was a time when a person’s word and their handshake was all that was needed to seal a deal. While there may be many other forms of greeting around the world, in the world of business the handshake is still primarily the gesture that binds the agreement.
Years ago, if one refused to shake hands they were seen as being rude or showing disapproval in some way. The handshake is so ingrained in our culture that to not shake hands can lead to social and financial risks or the labeling as a weirdo or germaphobe. Several famous celebrities are self-labeled germaphobes: Howard Hughes, Donald Trump, Howie Mandel, Cameron Diaz, Jason Bateman, Glenn Beck to name but a few. Their open candor about their condition has really helped to shine the light on a potential problem.
In the medical profession according to the article in JAMA “…the handshake has been shown to have the capability of improving the perception of the physician’s empathy and compassion. Handshakes between health care practitioners and their patients have the potential to comfort and calm.” The challenge is that the hands of health care workers become contaminated with pathogens and while there are very strict hygiene rules in place, compliance to those rules is only about 40%.
This statistic does not surprise me. I am always shocked at the number of women in the ladies’ room who do not wash their hands after using the bathroom. Or if they do wash their hands it is under cold water for just a few seconds. This is not enough time to kill any bacteria on their hands and then they open the door. All that bacteria is transmitted to the door handle, which is why you see more and more people using paper towels to open bathroom doors.
According to the JAMA article “…alcohol-based hand rubs, which have taken the place of hand-washing in many health care settings, have limited activity against some pathogens, including Clostridium difficile (a common cause of diarrhea in the health care setting)… multiple studies have demonstrated that the handshake can and does transmit pathogens.” Because of these studies the health care system is trying to get the word out in much the same way as they did with smoking. But the public will first have to be educated on the reasons for banning this established tradition. The article even suggests that we may begin seeing signage in health care facilities saying “Handshake-free zone” much the way we see No Smoking signs now.
In the medical profession according to the article in JAMA “…the handshake has been shown to have the capability of improving the perception of the physician’s empathy and compassion. Handshakes between health care practitioners and their patients have the potential to comfort and calm.” The challenge is that the hands of health care workers become contaminated with pathogens and while there are very strict hygiene rules in place, compliance to those rules is only about 40%.
This statistic does not surprise me. I am always shocked at the number of women in the ladies’ room who do not wash their hands after using the bathroom. Or if they do wash their hands it is under cold water for just a few seconds. This is not enough time to kill any bacteria on their hands and then they open the door. All that bacteria is transmitted to the door handle, which is why you see more and more people using paper towels to open bathroom doors.
According to the JAMA article “…alcohol-based hand rubs, which have taken the place of hand-washing in many health care settings, have limited activity against some pathogens, including Clostridium difficile (a common cause of diarrhea in the health care setting)… multiple studies have demonstrated that the handshake can and does transmit pathogens.” Because of these studies the health care system is trying to get the word out in much the same way as they did with smoking. But the public will first have to be educated on the reasons for banning this established tradition. The article even suggests that we may begin seeing signage in health care facilities saying “Handshake-free zone” much the way we see No Smoking signs now.
| In order to ban such an ingrained tradition, we must also come up with an appropriate alternative. To do so, we can look to other cultures where the handshake is not necessarily the only gesture or is not used at all. Some of the gestures that could be up for consideration and show greetings, peace, respect and more are:
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The handshake is such an integral part of our everyday lives and yet who knew how dangerous it could be to our health. Since so few people give a proper handshake in this day and age and since the significance of a bad handshake is detrimental in other ways, perhaps it is time we take a look at changing this long held tradition for something easier to do and healthier for us all. I’d like to hear your ideas about his.
Debbie Darling, ©2015 The Presentation Pros
Read more of The Presentation Pros blog HERE.
Debbie Darling, ©2015 The Presentation Pros
Read more of The Presentation Pros blog HERE.
