Diagnosis and Treatment of Infections in Nursing Homes

This project will design, implement, and evaluate a quality improvement program to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in nursing homes and assisted living communities in order to reduce infections in nursing homes. The project will be conducted in twelve nursing homes in North Carolina. The key outcomes under this study are adherence to prescribing guidelines, rates of antibiotic prescribing, hospitalization for infection, and adverse drug events.

Principal Investigator: Sheryl Zimmerman, Ph.D.

Funding Source: AHRQ via Abt Associates Inc.

Total Project Period: 10/01/09 – 01/29/13