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BACKGROUND: Indwelling urinary catheters (IDC) are used by approximately 7% of Australian aged care residents. IDC use is often warranted, but entails numerous risks, particularly if used long term. Enhancing the capacity of the aged care workforce to deliver person-centred, evidence-based IDC care is important. The IDC-IMPROVE project is designed to support aged care providers to meet the care needs of residents with IDCs in Australian aged care homes, by designing and evaluating a suite of resources titled the IDC-IMPROVE Catheter Care Bundle. AIMS: To establish the feasibility of conducting a definitive randomised control trial to evaluate the effects of the IDC-IMPROVE Catheter Care Bundle in Australian aged care homes. METHOD: A multi-centre, facility-level clustered randomised control feasibility trial in 24 aged care homes across Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia. Twelve homes will receive the intervention and 12 will continue usual care. The IDC-IMPROVE Catheter Care Bundle comprises online training for nurses and personal care workers, a practical skills workshop for nurses, a toolkit for managers, and an application-to-practice support model. RESULTS: Feasibility will be assessed through a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, including surveys, interviews, and audits. Feasibility outcomes are: (i) acceptability of the Bundle, (ii) fidelity of the implementation, (iii) compatibility of the Bundle with standard aged care IDC care, and its preliminary effects on resident outcomes and staff knowledge and confidence. CONCLUSION: This project will strengthen capacity within the aged care sector for research, innovation and knowledge exchange, and if feasible, could be rolled out nationally.
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