Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Collaborative

In the fall of 2011, the Fund and the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) will launch a new quality improvement collaborative aimed at reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections, or CAUTIs, which account for approximately 36% of all hospital-acquired infections.  These infections can increase a patient's risk of various clinical complications, lead to more serious and sometimes deadly bloodstream infections, and have significant economic consequences for hospitals due to higher complication rates and longer hospital stays.  In addition, the federal Medicare program has deemed these infections "never events" and has stopped reimbursing hospitals when a CAUTI develops during hospitalization.

Following the successful model of prior quality improvement collaboratives sponsored by the Fund and GNYHA,  the CAUTI collaborative will work with regional experts to identify proven evidenced-based practices to prevent these infections.  In particular, the collaborative will develop standardized protocols in four areas:  avoiding urinary catheter use whenever possible, inserting catheters using the most hygienic methods, following established catheter maintenance guidelines, and reviewing a patient's need for a urinary catheter on a daily basis--and either appropriately maintaining the catheter or promptly removing it as soon as it is no longer necessary.

The collaborative will then work to ensure that all participating hospitals have the necessary training and resources to adopt these practices.  In addition to receiving practical tools, participants will attend focused learning sessions and benefit from team coaching, data collection assistance and analysis, and ongoing support through monthly participant calls.

Central to the approach and success of this collaborative--and all Fund/GNYHA collaboratives--will be engaging the senior leadership and front-line clinicians at each participating hospital.  These hospitals will also develop interdisciplinary teams that will include physicians, nurses, and other professionals in infection prevention, information technology, and quality improvement.

Applications to participate in the CAUTI Collaborative will be sent to hospitals in the late summer, and a kickoff meeting is planned for October 2011.

Project Contact: Hillary Jalon