title: Qualitative validation of the CAUTI Guide to Patient Safety assessment tool.
abstract: Hospital-acquired infection, including catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), is common. Although CAUTI is usually preventable, hospital units may struggle to reduce CAUTI rates. The CAUTI guide to patient safety (GPS) was developed to assess a unit's CAUTI prevention activities. Our aim was to qualitatively validate the GPS.
  
  
  
  We interviewed participants from 2 units in each of 4 hospitals. Each unit's nurse manager completed the GPS and then discussed their answers with a trained research assistant. Semistructured interviews were conducted with unit nurses and physicians. We compared the nurse managers' answers to the unit physicians' and nurses' responses and assessed agreement.
  
  
  
  A total of 49 participants from 4 medical intensive care units and 4 medical-surgical units were interviewed. Nurse managers found the GPS helpful and complete. There was higher agreement between nurse managers and unit nurses than with physicians. Some questions generated more disagreement than others. Our findings suggest that the GPS is comprehensive and may be best used to stimulate discussions between stakeholders to address key issues.
  
  
  
  Using the GPS to assess several stakeholders' views could allow a given unit to move its CAUTI prevention efforts forward in a more informed manner.
authors.affiliation: Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI; Center for Patient Care and Outcomes Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI. Electronic address: kfletche@mcw.edu.
authors.forename: Kathlyn E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.affiliation: Center for Patient Care and Outcomes Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI.
authors.forename: Jeanne T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Tyszka
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Management Research, Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI; Veterans Affairs/University of Michigan Patient Safety Enhancement Program, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harrod
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Management Research, Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI; Veterans Affairs/University of Michigan Patient Safety Enhancement Program, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Management Research, Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI; Veterans Affairs/University of Michigan Patient Safety Enhancement Program, Ann Arbor, MI; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saint
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Management Research, Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI; Veterans Affairs/University of Michigan Patient Safety Enhancement Program, Ann Arbor, MI; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Krein
mesh_terms: D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D009726:Nurses; D061214:Patient Safety; D010820:Physicians; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Catheter-associated urinary tract infection; hospital-acquired infection; unit-based quality improvement