A retrospective evaluation of a health provider electronic health record reminder system to reduce urinary tract infections through enhanced barrier precautions in a skilled nursing facility.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are a significant concern in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Despite the effectiveness of enhanced barrier precautions (EBP) in preventing MDRO transmission, their implementation is often inconsistent in SNFs.For this quality improvement initiative, an electronic health record (EHR) reminder system was implemented, along with staff education and regular audits, to increase compliance with EBP practices.MDRO-associated UTIs significantly decreased from 41.49% to 9.36% (p < 0.0001). Nurse compliance with EBP throughout the intervention period ranged from 91.94 to 99.38%.Findings highlight the effectiveness of a multifaceted infection prevention approach, emphasizing the importance of combining technology, staff training, and regular audits to improve infection control practices.

Duke Scholars

Author Staci Reynolds School of Nursing