Leaders See Benefits in AHRQ Collaborative That Led to CAUTI Reductions in Nursing Homes

​A national collaborative that led to significant reductions in catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) in nursing homes did so in part because it empowered nurses to work with physicians and to overcome obstacles related to staff turnover, according to a qualitative study in the December 1, 2017, American Journal of Infection Control. The authors interviewed organizational and facility-level leads who participated in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Long-term Care: Health Care-Associated Infections/Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection. Respondents from both groups had overall positive impressions of the collaborative, with both groups reporting that staff felt more knowledgeable about CAUTI prevention strategies and therefore more empowered to speak with physicians about the strategies.