Physician, Ph.D
Anne Marie Rosendahl Madsen
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Odense University Hospital
| Projekt styring | ||
| Projekt status | Open | |
| Data indsamlingsdatoer | ||
| Start | 01.11.2025 | |
| Slut | 01.11.2028 | |
Implementation of "Free from UTI" on Funen. Targeted effort to prevent urinary tract infection in nursing home residents.
Short summary
There is a great potential for preventing urinary tract infection (UTI) and reducing the use of antibiotics in Danish nursing homes. We developed teaching material and decision support tools, which are now being applied widely in nursing homes on Funen. This is a quality assurance project aiming to evaluate the teaching process during implementation of "Free from UTI" at nursing homes in Odense.
Rationale
Background Denmark has the highest antibiotic consumption for nursing home residents in Europe (HALT 4). At any given time, 7.2% of nursing home residents receive antibiotics, which is almost twice the average in Europe. The majority is prescribed for urinary tract infection (UTI), and approximately half consists of preventive treatment. This may be due to overdiagnosis, which drives overtreatment, as half of nursing home residents who are diagnosed with UTI do not have specific UTI symptoms. Furthermore, 90% of urine cultures come from residents who do not have classic symptoms of UTI. Evidence from Denmark and abroad show that we can significantly reduce the incidence of UTI by implementing and maintaining good infection prevention measurements including increased hygiene and decision support tools for nursing home staff. In some Danish nursing homes, targeted efforts by staff have resulted in prevention of all urinary tract infections for up to one year. In intervention studies from Sweden and Denmark, antibiotic consumption was reduced by up to 50% through further training of staff and implementation of support tools (Arnold S.H., 2021). The concept "Free from UTI" was developed in a cross-sectoral collaboration between Odense and Nyborg municipalities and Odense University Hospital. In 2024, we carried out a pilot project with the aim of preventing UTIs and reducing the use of antibiotics in residents of two nursing homes on Funen. The pilot project resulted in significantly reduced incidence of UTI and more than 50% reduction in the consumption of antibiotics in both nursing homes. In addition, we established good collaborative relations across sectors. Odense Municipality has decided to implement the "Free from UTI" concept in all nursing homes in the municipality during 2025-2026. Objectives To reduce the incidence of UTI in nursing home residents through improved prevention and hygiene measures. To reduce the use of antibiotics in nursing homes.
Description of the cohort
Nursing home staff participation in the teaching seminar about urinary tract infections.
Data and biological material
Survey data. Evaluating participant's knowledge of UTI and prevention before and after the seminar.
Collaborating researchers and departments
Odense Municipality, Svendborg Municipality