Evaluation of an AI-Assisted Tool for CLABSI Surveillance at VA Medical Centers (VA-AI-CLABSI)

November 2, 2026 updated by: Daniel Morgan, University of Maryland, Baltimore

VA National AI Initiative (NAII) Evaluation of an AI-Assisted CLABSI Surveillance Tool: A Prospective Cluster-Randomized Trial

Infection prevention and control programs at US hospitals perform surveillance to detect and publicly report hospital-onset central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) using standards set by CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Because this process requires time-consuming review of the medical record by dedicated infection preventionists, VA has developed a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool that applies the NHSN CLABSI standard to clinical data from the medical record. In this quality improvement initiative, we will evaluate the tool as it is implemented operationally across a cohort of VA medical centers in 3 randomized waves. The purpose of this evaluation is (1) to determine whether the tool reduces the time required for CLABSI surveillance, (2) to assess the objectivity and trustworthiness of the tool from the perspective of infection preventionists, and (3) to detect patient safety events.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study is being conducted from a VA operational perspective as quality improvement. This will proceed regardless of research approvals. This was submitted to the University of Maryland / Baltimore VA joint IRB/VA Research & Development committees and determined to be non-human subjects research.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Infection preventionists will participate in this study if their VA medical center is eligible based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria below. At participating sites, all positive blood culture events reviewed as potential central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) during the study period will be included in the analysis.

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. VA medical center that provides short- or long-term acute care
  2. CLABSI surveillance is performed by a local infection prevention team who agree to complete all study assessments

Exclusion Criteria:

1. VA medical center planned for conversion to the Cerner electronic health record within the anticipated study period

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Post-implementation of an AI for CLABSI surveillance

Infection preventionists (reviewers) at participating VA medical centers will use the generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool while reviewing cases of bacteremia to adjudicate the presence of a central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). The tool operationalizes the CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network definition of CLABSI as discrete steps. Reviewers will be allowed to flexibly implement the tool within their workflow, will not be restricted from performing independent review of the medical record to clarify tool output when necessary, and will retain final authority regarding all CLABSI determinations for event reporting.
Other: Generative AI tool for CLABSI surveillance

The intervention involves implementation of a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool that operationalizes the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network definition for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) to support CLABSI surveillance. The tool reviews the medical record to confirm the presence and duration of a central line, identify competing or secondary sources of infection, exclude commensal organisms and bloodstream infections due to mucosal barrier injury, and provide supporting quotations from the medical record.
No Intervention: Standard CLABSI surveillance

Infection preventionists at participating VA medical centers will use their pre-intervention approach to surveillance for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), which involves manual review of the medical record and reporting per the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network CLABSI definition.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Time per bacteremia case review
Time Frame: At completion of each bacteremia case review performed during the study period beginning 1 month prior to implementation until 6 months post-implementation.

Time in elapsed minutes captured automatically by start and end time of the per-case review form. Assessed at time of completion of the bacteremia case review.
At completion of each bacteremia case review performed during the study period beginning 1 month prior to implementation until 6 months post-implementation.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Difficulty of bacteremia case review
Time Frame: At completion of each bacteremia case review performed during the study period beginning 1 month prior to implementation until 6 months post-implementation.

Measured using the Single Ease Question, a validated single-item 7-level scale.
At completion of each bacteremia case review performed during the study period beginning 1 month prior to implementation until 6 months post-implementation.
Objectivity of case review
Time Frame: At completion of each bacteremia case review performed during the study period beginning 1 month prior to implementation until 6 months post-implementation.

Measured using a question on the case review form ("How objective is the case to review? (1=not at all objective to 7=very objective)").
At completion of each bacteremia case review performed during the study period beginning 1 month prior to implementation until 6 months post-implementation.
Reviewer confidence in case review
Time Frame: At completion of each bacteremia case review performed during the study period beginning 1 month prior to implementation until 6 months post-implementation.

Measured using a question on the case review form ("How confident are you with your review of this case? (1=not confident to 7=very confident)").
At completion of each bacteremia case review performed during the study period beginning 1 month prior to implementation until 6 months post-implementation.
Infection preventionist-identified safety problems
Time Frame: Assessed monthly during each facility's 6-month post-implementation period

Reported using a binary question (yes/no) on the monthly survey administered to all sites during the post-implementation period.
Assessed monthly during each facility's 6-month post-implementation period
Infection preventionist-identified direct patient harm
Time Frame: Assessed monthly during each facility's 6-month post-implementation period

Reported using a binary question (yes/no) on the monthly survey administered to all sites during the post-implementation period.
Assessed monthly during each facility's 6-month post-implementation period

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Maryland, Baltimore

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
US Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Maryland Health Care System

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Daniel J Morgan, MD, MS, University of Maryland, Baltimore

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 16, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 24, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 2, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 2, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HP-00120271

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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