A Quality Improvement Project to Evaluate Auditor Satisfaction with Different Data Collection Methods for Auditing Compliance with Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) Prevention Standards
Abstract
Executive Summary A Quality Improvement Project to Evaluate Auditor Satisfaction with Different Data Collection Methods for Auditing Compliance with (CAUTI) Prevention Standards Problem Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are among the most common healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in the United States, representing about 40% of all HAIs (Palmer, Lee, Dutta-Linn, Wroe & Hartmann, 2013). Approximately 25% of indwelling urinary catheters are unnecessary and may potentially lead to CAUTIs if not maintained, cleaned, and cared for appropriately (Nazarko, 2012). Literature suggests that preventing CAUTIs is possible by implementing evidence based prevention standards. The PICO research question for CAUTI prevention and prevention standard data collection is: In a sampling of clinical auditors (P) does implementation of an electronic audit tool to collect data on compliance with CAUTI prevention care standards in addition to education on the electronic audit tool (I) differ from paper form auditing for CAUTI prevention care standards (C) and does it impact auditor satisfaction and/or data collected using the new tool (O). Goal The goal of this project was to assess if there were differences in paper versus electronic audit collection methods by evaluating pre- and post-implementation auditor satisfaction. In addition, an assessment of the two collection methods was completed to evaluate consistency related to number of audits collected and notable changes in compliance, thereby providing insight into if electronic data capture (EDC) is a reliable and efficient method. Objectives Project objectives included determining auditor satisfaction with paper versus electronic data collection methods and evaluation of implications of reliability with data collection methods by maintaining consistency with data. Plan Following Institutional Review Board approval from Regis University, the project was implemented and data were collected retro- and prospectively. There was an organizational transition to EDC, a questionnaire was distributed eliciting feedback from auditors on their satisfaction level, and compliance with the prevention standards was assessed for consistency pre- and post-implementation of the EDC tool. Questionnaire data were coded and entered into a spreadsheet and statistical software was used to determine if there were significant changes in auditor satisfaction. Finally, an assessment of differences in processes used to collect CAUTI prevention standard data was completed. Outcomes and Results Nine clinical auditors and one data analyst were exposed to both paper and EDC tools and completed the questionnaire. While there was not a statistically significant increase in satisfaction, there was a clinically significant increase in auditor satisfaction. There was a statistically significant difference noted between pre- and post- implementation compliance data, but this does not prove a causal relationship due to other confounding factors. There was also a statistically significant decrease in average time it took for auditors to collect audit data.