3 Strategies to Implement Urinary Tract Infection Prevention Program

Sabrina Rodak -

Educating patients and their families about the dangers of keeping urinary catheters in patients can aid efforts to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections, according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Researchers examined the barriers to implementation of the CAUTI prevention protocol called the Bladder Bundle, which is used by hospitals in the Michigan Health and Hospital Association Keystone Center for Patient Safety. Researchers interviewed by phone representatives at 12 hospitals participating in the MHA Keystone Center program and conducted in-person interviews and site visits at three of the 12 hospitals.

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The hospitals identified three common barriers to implementing the Bladder Bundle:
1. Difficulty with nurse and physician engagement.
2. Patient and family request for indwelling catheters.
3. Catheter insertion practices and customs in the emergency department.

The hospitals also identified three strategies to overcome these barriers:
1. Incorporating urinary management (e.g., planned toileting) as part of other patient safety programs, such as a fall reduction program.
2. Explicitly discussing the risks of indwelling urinary catheters with patients and families.
3. Engaging with ED nurses and physicians to implement a process that ensures appropriate indications for catheter use are followed.

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