The impact of health care provider relationships and communication dynamics on urinary tract infection management and antibiotic utilization for long-term care facility residents treated in the emergency department: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND: For older adults, over diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTI) is a primary driver of inappropriate antibiotic use. This risk is increased for patients in long-term care facilities (LTCF), especially as they transition back and forth to emergency departments (ED). In this study, we aimed to understand how health care provider communication and relationship dynamics affect LTCF residents treated in the ED to identify barriers to antibiotic stewardship for UTIs. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with nurses and physicians from LTCFs and EDs, guided by the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety framework. Data were systematically coded and underwent iterative, conventional, content analysis. RESULTS: We interviewed 16 LTCF and 16 ED providers across Wisconsin. ED and LTCF nurses have a critical role in both intrafacility and interfacility communication. Fragmented communication and interprofessional power dynamics were identified barriers to optimal antibiotic prescribing for UTIs. Identified strategies to overcome these issues included using objective diagnostic criteria, development of communication scripts, and nurse-to-nurse education. CONCLUSIONS: Our qualitative approach revealed important insights about how communication and relationship dynamics influence UTI diagnosis and optimal antibiotic stewardship for LTCF residents evaluated in the ED. Future interventions should strengthen communications between settings and across provider types, and address standardization of diagnostic and treatment communication pathways for LTCF residents with suspected infections transitioning between EDs and LTCFs.