Which practice is essential prior to performing a specimen collection?

Washing hands thoroughly is essential prior to performing specimen collection because it is a critical infection control practice. Hand hygiene significantly reduces the risk of transmitting pathogens between healthcare professionals and patients. Ensuring that hands are clean helps to prevent contamination of the specimen and protects both the patient and the healthcare provider from potential infections.

While discussing results with the patient and asking for consent are important parts of the patient interaction process, they do not directly address infection control prior to collecting a specimen. Visualizing the file of previous tests can be useful for context but is not an immediate prerequisite for the actual process of specimen collection. Therefore, washing hands is the fundamental step that sets the stage for safe and effective testing.