title: Using electronic medical records to increase the efficiency of catheter-associated urinary tract infection surveillance for National Health and Safety Network reporting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Streamlining health care-associated infection surveillance is essential for health care facilities owing to the continuing increases in reporting requirements.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stanford Hospital, a 583-bed adult tertiary care center, used their electronic medical record (EMR) to develop an electronic algorithm to reduce the time required to conduct catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) surveillance in adults. The algorithm provides inclusion and exclusion criteria, using the National Healthcare Safety Network definitions, for patients with a CAUTI. The algorithm was validated by trained infection preventionists through complete chart review for a random sample of cultures collected during the study period, September 1, 2012, to February 28, 2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, a total of 6,379 positive urine cultures were identified. The Stanford Hospital electronic CAUTI algorithm identified 6,101 of these positive cultures (95.64%) as not a CAUTI, 191 (2.99%) as a possible CAUTI requiring further validation, and 87 (1.36%) as a definite CAUTI. Overall, use of the algorithm reduced CAUTI surveillance requirements at Stanford Hospital by 97.01%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The electronic algorithm proved effective in increasing the efficiency of CAUTI surveillance. The data suggest that CAUTI surveillance using the National Healthcare Safety Network definitions can be fully automated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Business Analytics, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, CA. Electronic address: john@stanfordmed.org.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shepard
authors.affiliation: Department of Quality, Patient Safety, and Effectiveness, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, CA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hadhazy
authors.affiliation: Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Veterans Administration, New York, NY.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frederick
authors.affiliation: Health Catalyst, Salt Lake City, UT.
authors.forename: Spencer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nicol
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Business Analytics, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, CA.
authors.forename: Padmaja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gade
authors.affiliation: Health Catalyst, Salt Lake City, UT.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cardon
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Business Analytics, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, CA.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Business Analytics, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, CA.
authors.forename: Yohan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vetteth
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control Department, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, CA.
authors.forename: Sasha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madison
mesh_terms: D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Automated surveillance; CAUTI; CAUTI surveillance; Cost reduction; Electronic surveillance; Infection control surveillance