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This project is a collaborative, 3-phase, mixed-methods study to develop consensus around diagnostic and decision-making criteria for complicated UTI (cUTI) among people with SCI and the clinicians who treat them.
The Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is a participating Model Systems site.
The lead site is the National Capital Spinal Cord Injury Model System.
Other participating sites are:
Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System
University of Pittsburgh Model Center on Spinal Cord Injury
Southern California Spinal Cord Injury Model System
Baylor Scott and White Spinal Cord Injury Model System
South Florida SCIMS
Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System
Mount Sinai Spinal Cord Injury Model System
The project is currently enrolling (MOD0002180 IRB Approved date 5/13/2025) participants with SCI with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction.
The research study is a 6-month study that includes training individuals with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) on:
· Urinary symptoms specific to their bladder management,
· Management of urinary symptoms, and
· Overall urinary health
Participants will learn how to improve communication with your clinician about your urinary symptoms, management, and overall health using a validated Urinary Symptom Questionnaire. Your participation can help enhance care strategies and empower you in making informed decisions about your health.
More information is available here. Contact Ana Valeria Aguirre Guemez at anavaleria.aguirregumez@medstar.net or (202) 877-1875
Participants will learn how to use the cUTI Guidelines urinary symptoms decision making algorithm specific to their symptoms, and complete weekly Urinary Symptom Questionnaire for Neurogenic Bladder- USQNB surveys for a period of 6 months. After that, we will ask for a one-time survey about the impact their participation has had on their urinary health and antibiotics use.
In Phase 1 (qualitative) we will engage clinicians SCIMS-wide in focus groups to refine cUTI-related decision-making using our three reliable and validated USQNBs (Urinary Symptom Questionnaire for Neurogenic Bladder) as points of departure, and then conduct a Delphi survey to explore and achieve consensus on diagnostic criteria and guidelines for cUTI among a nationally representative sample of clinicians from the SCIMS network (PM&R, Infectious Disease, Urology, Primary Care, Emergency Medicine), the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), and the Neurogenic Bladder Research Group (NBRG). In Phase 2 (qualitative) we will develop and deploy training materials and a train-the-trainer program based on the SCIMS cUTI Consensus Guidelines resulting from Phase 1. Finally, in Phase 3 (quantitative) we will assess clinicians’ uptake and use of the Guidelines, and the impact of the Guidelines training on consumers’ self-management habits, engagement with the health care system, and antibiotic use, over the 12 months after training.