The centre for health informatics: a novel approach to accelerating the field of health data science.

Precision Medicine and Precision Public Health are approaches to improve population health. Achieving these goals requires innovation in health informatics. The Centre for Health Informatics (CHI) within the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) at the University of Calgary (UC), Canada, was created to respond to this need by fostering multidisciplinary collaborations, building capacity by recruiting and training outstanding faculty and students, and harnessing Alberta's rich health data to advance health informatics.

Urinary Catheter-Associated Infections.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are common and costly hospital-acquired infections, yet they are largely preventable. The greatest modifiable risk factor for developing a CAUTI is duration of catheterization, including initial indwelling catheter placement when it may not otherwise be necessary. Alternatives to indwelling urinary catheters, including intermittent straight catheterization and the use of external catheters, should be considered in applicable patients.

Urinary Retention Evaluation and Catheterization Algorithm for Adult Inpatients.

Importance: Acute urinary retention (UR) is common, yet variations in diagnosis and management can lead to inappropriate catheterization and harm.

Objective: To develop an algorithm for screening and management of UR among adult inpatients.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this mixed-methods study using the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and qualitative interviews, an 11-member multidisciplinary expert panel of nurses and physicians from across the US used a formal multi-round process from March to May 2015 to rate 107 clinical scenarios involving diagnosis and management of adult UR in postoperative and medical inpatients.