Enter at your own risk: An analysis of catheter-associated urinary tract infection programs in hospitals

Issues: According to the CDC, Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) accounts for over a third of Healthcare-Associated Infections, threatening the 20-25% of hospital patients who receive urinary catheters during their stay. Description: Authors utilized a policy analysis methodology to compare CAUTI-reduction policies among five mentor hospitals aimed at reducing infection rates. Lessons Learned: Adherence to the CDC guidelines does not directly correlate with lower infection rates compared across hospitals. Recommendations: Findings suggest that positive outcomes incorporate hospital-tailored interventions which integrate reminder systems, performance feedback, education, and training. Other literature-based recommendations will be discussed at the conference.