Empowerment Program to Reduce Treatment of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Veterans With Spinal Cord Injury

Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health concern that worsens healthcare outcomes. Antibiotic resistant organisms occur more often in Veterans with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) given their frequent exposure to antibiotics, recurrent hospitalizations, and common use of urinary catheter devices. Veterans with SCI/D are also at risk for overtreatment with antibiotics when they do not need them, particularly for over-diagnosed urinary tract infections. The investigators plan to create a patient empowerment program with input of Veterans with SCI/D \[and their providers\] to help guide their decisions and next steps when they have a change in bladder symptoms. The program will give Veterans with SCI/D the tools to speak up to their provider and advocate for themselves to avoid receiving unnecessary antibiotics. This program is highly innovative, as it puts Veterans with SCI/D in charge of thoughtful antibiotic use, or antibiotic stewardship.

NCT Number	NCT07430904
Lead Sponsor	VA Office of Research and Development
Conditions	Spinal Cord Injury, Spinal Cord Disease
Enrollment	30 participants
Start Date	2026-08-03
Primary Completion	2031-12-01 (estimated)
Study Completion	2032-06-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-07-22