A program developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections slashed infection rates over the course of a 12-month intervention period by more than half, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
The intervention was based on AHRQ's Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program, which was originally designed to reduce CAUTIs in hospitals. The program was modified for nursing homes and implemented at more than 400 community-based nursing homes for 12-month periods between March 1, 2014, and August 31, 2016. The intervention decreased CAUTI rates from approximately 6.4 to 3.3 per 1,000 catheter days on average across all facilities. Three quarters of participating nursing homes reported a CAUTI rate reduction of at least 40 percent.
"We continue to see the power of AHRQ tools to help front-line staff tackle safety problems, now in nursing homes as well as hospitals," said Jeffrey Brady, MD, director of AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety. "This means that some of the most vulnerable members of society — those who reside in long-term care facilities and nursing homes — are less likely to be harmed as a result of infections."
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