Study Finds Under Half of U.S. Hospitals Have Key CAUTI Prevention Strategy in Place

Researchers evaluated hospitals from 2005 to 2025 and found certain frameworks were still underutilized.

Oct. 21, 2026

Key Highlights

Less than 50% of U.S. hospitals have implemented catheter-reminder systems despite their proven effectiveness.
Use of urinary catheter stop orders increased from 9.1% in 2005 to 48.7% in 2025 in nonfederal hospitals, showing progress over two decades.
VA hospitals show slower adoption, with only 31.5% using reminders and 37.8% enabling nurse-initiated discontinuation as of 2025.
Embedding prompts and empowering nurses are recommended strategies to improve catheter management and prevent CAUTIs.
The study highlights the need for widespread implementation of effective CAUTI prevention practices across all hospital types.

A new study based on 20 years of surveys concluded that less than half of U.S. hospitals have a catheter-reminder system for physicians to help prevent CAUTIs. CIDRAP has the news.

Researchers evaluated systems to prevent CAUTIs using national surveys of 1,461 hospitals from 2005 until 2025. Surveys were sent to all VA hospitals and a random sample of nonfederal hospitals with ICUs every four years. Hospitals were included in the study’s dataset if they completed at least one survey.

Indwelling urinary catheters are recommended only when necessary, aseptically inserting catheters, removing them when no longer needed, and using alternatives when possible.

In non-federal hospitals, regular use of urinary catheter reminders or stop orders grew from 9.1% in 2005 to 48.7% in 2025. Nurse-initiated catheter discontinuation grew from 11.3% to 58.3% in that same time period. At VA hospitals, urinary catheter reminders or stop orders only grew to 31.5%, and nurse-initiated discontinuation only rose to 37.8%.

The study’s lead author emphasized that “the most effective strategies – such as prompting clinicians to reassess whether a catheter is still needed and empowering nurses to remove it when appropriate – should be embedded in everyday care.”