Keeping surgical antibiotic use correct after reporting ends
Assessing the Sustainability of Compliance with Surgical Site Infection Prophylaxis After Discontinuation of Mandatory Active Reporting
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · NIH-11005693
This project checks whether correct antibiotic timing before surgery continued for Veterans after a mandatory hospital reporting program ended.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BOSTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11005693 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If I'm a Veteran having surgery, this work uses VA medical records to see whether hospitals kept giving antibiotics at the right time after the national reporting program stopped. The team applies electronic algorithms to VA data to track when antibiotics were given and to find surgical infections and other harms like kidney problems. They compare practices across different surgeries and over time to see if good antibiotic habits were sustained or spread beyond the original program. Findings will help VA leaders decide whether to bring back manual review or rely on electronic monitoring to protect patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are Veterans who had or will have inpatient surgeries at VA hospitals and whose care is recorded in VA electronic health records.
Not a fit: People not treated in the VA system or whose outpatient procedures are not captured in VA records may not directly benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help keep Veterans safer after surgery by making sure antibiotics are given at the right time and by reducing preventable infections and other harms.
How similar studies have performed: Previous VA efforts like SCIP raised correct antibiotic use above 95%, and earlier VA projects have used electronic algorithms to track antibiotic use, but it is unclear whether those gains lasted after reporting ended.
Where this research is happening
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
- VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM — BOSTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: MULL, HILLARY JANE — VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
- Study coordinator: MULL, HILLARY JANE
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.