Reminder systems to reduce the duration of indwelling urinary catheters: a narrative review

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is a common and costly problem for hospitalized patients. Policymakers have taken notice of the importance of these infections, and changes to the prospective payment rules of Medicare, Medicaid, and many additional third-party payers have been implemented to hold hospitals accountable for the delivery of poor quality health care services. As key members of the health care team, nurses must be prepared to utilize evidence-based practices to prevent CAUTI in hospitalized patients. This article describes several variable-technology interventions to remind clinicians to remove unnecessary urinary catheters and proposes potential roles for nursing informatics in the prevention of CAUTI in hospitalized adults.