Enhancing Urinary Tract Infection Prevention in an Internal Medicine Ward: A Quality Improvement Project.

Background & Problem: Urinary tract infection (UTI), one of the most common types of healthcare-associated infections, is associated with increased hospital stay durations and healthcare costs. Our unit is located in the internal medicine ward of a medical center. In 2020, infection control data revealed a rise in the UTI rate to 2.03‰, which was higher than the hospital-wide average of 1.52‰. This prompted the initiation of this improvement project. Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop effective solutions to address UTI-related issues, improve the knowledge and skills of nurses and caregivers involved in UTI care, reduce indwelling catheter duration and environmental sources of infection, and, ultimately, decrease the incidence of UTIs in our ward. Resolutions: Through problem analysis, nurses and caregivers were found to lack sufficient UTI-care-related knowledge and skills, leading to an increase in infection cases. A UTI assessment and standardized workflow were developed. Self-learning materials were provided, and regular assessments were conducted. Urine bag labels and bilingual perineal hygiene videos were designed. In addition, an antimicrobial bed scale was developed to reduce the potential sources of infection. Results: Six months after project implementation, a significant improvement was found in the accuracy of UTI care among nurses and caregivers. The average indwelling catheter duration decreased to 4.7 days and the UTI rate dropped to 1.48‰, successfully achieving the project goals. Conclusion: The authors recommend incorporating UTI-prevention knowledge and skills into pre-employment training and promoting the use of antimicrobial bed scales to significantly reduce the incidence of UTIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]