We developed the strategies that we have compiled on this website through years of research in the field with hospitals across the United States. One of the primary objectives of our research has been to develop strategies to optimize successful implementation of key practices for preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI).

We began our work two decades ago by conducting numerous meta-analyses, economic evaluations, narrative and systematic reviews, and primary studies that helped define what should be done to prevent CAUTI. We then turned our attention to implementation research to see how hospitals are translating research findings and guideline recommendations into everyday clinical practices. For example, since 2005, we have run 6 comprehensive quadrennial surveys of hospitals from across the US and as part of the US Department of Veterans Affairs examining use of various infection prevention practices.

We have conducted qualitative interviews and site visits with 14 hospitals across Michigan to find out what worked for them in reducing indwelling urinary catheter use and CAUTI, what did not work, and why. In the course of our multidisciplinary work, we have interviewed hundreds healthcare workers from all levels of the organization, including chief executive officers, chief nurse executives, chief medical officers, infection preventionists, hospital epidemiologists, surgeons, front-line nurses and doctors, nurse managers, and urologists.

We hope that the information that we have gathered from all of those hospitals and individual interviews will be able to help hospitals across the nation (and even in other countries) to enhance how they are addressing CAUTI prevention.