ObjectiveTo understand hand hygiene(HH) compliance among health care workers(HCWs) and incidence of healthcareassociated infection(HAI) in surgical patients before and after the intervention, analyze the effect of HH on costeffectiveness of HAI. MethodsFrom December 2012June 2014, 78 HCWs in the department of neurosurgery of a hospital were as the intervention objects of HH compliance, 325 patients who underwent craniocerebral clean operation were as the surveyed objects, HH compliance among HCWs, incidence of HAI in surgical patients, cost of HH, and hospitalization expense before and after intervention were compared respectively. ResultsHH compliance among HCWs before and after intervention were 35.24% (216/613) and 73.75%（486/659）respectively (χ2=180.091，P<0.001）; incidence of HAI in surgical patients before and after intervention were 31.85%（50/157）and 18.45%（31/168）respectively（χ2=7.782，P<0.001）. Hospitalization expense before and after intervention were （89 524.90±38 856.70）￥ and （61 401.00±29 237.80）￥ respectively; average length of hospital stay before and after intervention were 36.70 days and 26.90 days respectively（t=3.296, 3.511，respectively, both P＜0.01). ConclusionImproving HH compliance among HCWs can reduce the incidence of HAI and hospitalization cost, and shorten the average length of hospital stay of patients.