A Statewide Program to Improve Management of Suspected Urinary Tract Infection in Long-Term Care

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common indication for antibiotic use in long-term care (LTC). Due to the high prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria, for which antibiotics are not warranted, these antibiotics are frequently unnecessary. We implemented a collaborative quality improvement program to improve the management of suspected UTI in LTC residents by increasing awareness of current guidelines, with a focus on decreasing treatment in the absence of symptoms. DESIGN/INTERVENTION: Two separate collaboratives included workshops, webinars, and coaching calls. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 31 facilities participated in the first collaborative, with 17 submitting sufficient data for analysis and 34 in the second, with data analyzed from 25. MEASUREMENTS: Facilities reported monthly numbers of urine cultures, UTI diagnoses, Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs), and resident days. RESULTS: When comparing the baseline period to the first collaborative period, the intercollaborative period to the second collaborative period, and the first collaborative period to the second, the incident rate ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 0.74 (0.68-0.81), 0.83 (0.73-0.94), and 0.63 (0.57-0.69), respectively, for urine culturing rate; 0.73 (0.64-0.83), 0.86 (0.70-1.05), and 0.60 (0.51-0.69), respectively, for UTI diagnosis rate; and 0.56 (0.40-0.82), 1.61 (0.71-4.14), and 0.45 (0.27-0.74), respectively, for CDI rate. CONCLUSION: The program we implemented was associated with reductions in urine cultures, UTI diagnosis, and CDI; and it suggests that this type of intervention can promote appropriate management of UTI in the LTC setting. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:62–69, 2019.