A nephrology unit at Detroit-based Henry Ford Hospital has lowered Clostridioides difficile infections by 90% since 2023.
Leaders at the hospital credit the progress to the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program, or CUSP, from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which was used to engage frontline staff in identifying and addressing infection risks. The framework blends teamwork principles, safety science and clinical best practices to support care teams in proactively closing safety gaps, according to a blog post published by AHRQ in June.
Using the framework, unit leaders implemented a nurse-driven protocol to test symptomatic patients for C. diff within the first three days of admission — an approach that helped differentiate hospital-acquired infections from pre-existing cases and enabled timely treatment. The unit also introduced hands-on education around proper isolation techniques, conducted case reviews at the bedside and distributed badge cards to all staff detailing the C. diff protocols.
Based on the success in the nephrology unit, several of the measures have now been implemented across the 800-bed hospital. C. diff causes an estimated 500,000 infections in the U.S. each year, with the highest risk among older adults and people with weakened immune systems. The infection often takes hold during or shortly after antibiotic use, when the body’s natural gut bacteria are disrupted.
