Study looks at lessons learned from nursing home CAUTI project

Participants in a national collaborative to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections in nursing homes say the project empowered them to work with physicians and other team members to implement evidence-based practices to prevent and control infections, despite occasional challenges with staff support and turnover. As reported in May, the federal project led by the AHA’s Health Research & Educational Trust reduced CAUTI infections in more than 400 participating facilities by 54% between March 2014 and September 2016. “This program, built on the successes of prior CAUTI prevention programs, included the voices of long-term care staff via the nursing home safety culture survey and interviews,” said Jay Bhatt, D.O, HRET president and AHA chief medical officer. “The work and findings of the collaborative will strengthen and refine infection prevention interventions in long-term care settings.” The project, funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, has developed a toolkit to help long-term care facilities reduce infections based on participants’ experiences.