Project Overview

This is a two-year hospital based safety project to implement CUSP and CLABSI interventions nationwide. The key project goals for this AHRQ funded national project are:

  1. To reduce the mean CLABSI rate across the nation to less than 1 per 1000 catheter days over two years;
  2. To improve safety culture;
  3. To partner with the CDC to support the measurement and timely feedback of CLABSI and other health care acquired infection (HAI) data, and for state hospital associations to partner with state-based organizations to address the elimination of HAIs.

The project is initiated and managed by the State Coordinator who assists hospitals in implementing the project at their institutions. Hospitals are required to:

  • Participate in six weeks of immersion calls to orient hospitals to the project with presentations on the project overview, the science of safety, eliminating central line blood stream infections, CUSP, how to build a team, and how to engage physicians.
  • Assemble a hospital CUSP team including a physician champion, nurse leader, project team leader, and an executive champion who will participate in the project throughout the two-year period. Many successful teams may also include representation from: unit nurses, intensivists, hospitalists, other unit physicians, nurse educators, nurse managers, unit directors, infection control practitioner/HEIC dept staff, patient safety officers, QI department staff, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, data entry personnel, and other interested staff.
  • Collect and submit baseline data, including the CUSP Exposure Survey, culture survey, and CLABSI data for one year (ideally) prior to starting the project.
  • Attend an in-person state project kick-off meeting.
  • Collect and submit monthly CLABSI rates and a team status assessment called the Monthly Team Check-up Tool.
  • Listen monthly to one-hour content calls, which provide an opportunity for the hospital teams to delve more deeply into the topics touched upon in the immersion calls and at the Kick-off meeting.
  • Participate monthly in informal, state-specific coaching calls (approximately 30-60 minutes), which provide hospital teams with a forum to learn from each other and ask questions of assigned JHU QSRG and MHA Keystone Project Advisors. Topics may include implementing CUSP, CLABSI elimination techniques and strategies, and data submission or reporting.
  • Attend two follow-up state project meetings at midcourse and project end

Hospital/Unit Project Timeline

Timeline (month) Task/Description
1
  • Hospitals are contacted by their SHA, QIO, or other lead organization to recruit hospital participation and form a state collaborative
2-3
  • Hospitals complete and return DUA and Care Counts registration
  • Hospitals begin immersion calls (6 weeks)
  • Technology and Exposure Assessment in Survey Monkey
4-5
  • Hospitals attend project kick-off meeting for its hospital teams
  • Hospitals take first Hospital Survey of Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS)
6
  • Hospital teams participate in national monthly content calls lead by project team faculty (multiple states)
  • Hospital teams participate in monthly coaching calls (by individual state)
  • Hospitals begin to submit monthly CLABSI and Monthly Team Checkup Tool data
7-16
  • Ongoing data collection, participation in monthly content and coaching calls
17
  • Hospitals attend project mid-course meeting for its hospital teams
18-25
  • Ongoing data collection, participation in monthly content and coaching calls
26-27
  • Hospitals take second (last) HSOPS
28
  • Hospitals attend a celebration meeting for its hospital teams (optional)