The effectiveness of information technology to improve antimicrobial prescribing in hospitals: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Complex Hospital-Based Electronic Prescribing-Based Intervention to Support Antimicrobial Stewardship: Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a growing concern for public health.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to explore the challenges associated with development and implementation of a complex intervention designed to improve AMS in hospitals.

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative evaluation of a complex AMS intervention with educational, behavioral, and technological components in 5 wards of an English hospital. At 2 weeks and 7 weeks after initiating the intervention, we interviewed 25 users of the intervention, including senior and junior prescribers, a senior nurse, a pharmacist, and a microbiologist. Topics discussed included perceived impacts of different elements of the intervention and facilitators and barriers to effective use. Interviews were supplemented by 2 observations of ward rounds to gain insights into AMS practices. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and inductively and deductively analyzed thematically using NVivo12.

RESULTS

Tracing the adoption and impact of the various components of the intervention was difficult, as it had been introduced into a setting with competing pressures. These particularly affected behavioral and educational components (eg, training, awareness-building activities), which were often delivered ad hoc. We found that the participatory intervention design had addressed typical use cases but had not catered for edge cases that only became visible when the intervention was delivered in real-world settings (eg, variations in prescribing workflows across different specialties and conditions).

CONCLUSIONS

Effective user-focused design of complex interventions to promote AMS can support acceptance and use. However, not all requirements and potential barriers to use can be fully anticipated or tested in advance of full implementation in real-world settings.

28 NICUs participating in a quality improvement collaborative targeting early-onset sepsis antibiotic use

OBJECTIVE

There is widespread overuse of antibiotics in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The objective of this study was to safely reduce antibiotic use in participating NICUs by targeting early-onset sepsis (EOS) management.

STUDY DESIGN

Twenty-eight NICUs participated in this statewide multicenter antibiotic stewardship quality improvement collaborative. The primary aim was to reduce the total monthly mean antibiotic utilization rate (AUR) by 25% in participant NICUs.

RESULT

Aggregate AUR was reduced by 15.3% (p < 0.001). There was a wide range in improvement among participant NICUs. There were no increases in EOS rates or nosocomial infection rates related to the intervention.

CONCLUSION

Participation in this multicenter NICU antibiotic stewardship collaborative targeting EOS was associated with an aggregate reduction in antibiotic use. This study informs efforts aimed at sustaining improvements in NICU AURs.

Decision support systems for antibiotic prescription in hospitals: a survey with hospital managers on factors for implementation

BACKGROUND

Inappropriate antimicrobial use, such as antibiotic intake in viral infections, incorrect dosing and incorrect dosing cycles, has been shown to be an important determinant of the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Artificial intelligence-based decision support systems represent a potential solution for improving antimicrobial prescribing and containing antimicrobial resistance by supporting clinical decision-making thus optimizing antibiotic use and improving patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this research was to examine implementation factors of artificial intelligence-based decision support systems for antibiotic prescription in hospitals from the perspective of the hospital managers, who have decision-making authority for the organization.

METHODS

An online survey was conducted between December 2022 and May 2023 with managers of German hospitals on factors for decision support system implementation. Survey responses were analyzed from 118 respondents through descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Survey participants reported openness towards the use of artificial intelligence-based decision support systems for antibiotic prescription in hospitals but little self-perceived knowledge in this field. Artificial intelligence-based decision support systems appear to be a promising opportunity to improve quality of care and increase treatment safety. Along with the Human-Organization-Technology-fit model attitudes were presented. In particular, user-friendliness of the system and compatibility with existing technical structures are considered to be important for implementation. The uptake of decision support systems also depends on the ability of an organization to create a facilitating environment that helps to address the lack of user knowledge as well as trust in and skepticism towards these systems. This includes the training of user groups and support of the management level. Besides, it has been assessed to be important that potential users are open towards change and perceive an added value of the use of artificial intelligence-based decision support systems.

CONCLUSION

The survey has revealed the perspective of hospital managers on different factors that may help to address implementation challenges for artificial intelligence-based decision support systems in antibiotic prescribing. By combining factors of user perceptions about the systems´ perceived benefits with external factors of system design requirements and contextual conditions, the findings highlight the need for a holistic implementation framework of artificial intelligence-based decision support systems.

Evaluation of Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs: Implementation, Process, Impact, and Outcomes, Review of Systematic Reviews

Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASP) were introduced in healthcare as a public health priority to promote appropriate prescribing of antimicrobials, to reduce adverse events related to antimicrobials, as well as to control the escalating challenges of antimicrobial resistance. To deliver aimed outcome objectives, ASPs involve multiple connected implementation process measures. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate both concepts of ASPs. Guided by PRISMA frames, published systematic reviews (SR) focusing on ASPs restricted to secondary and tertiary healthcare were evaluated over the past 10 years involving all age groups. Out of 265 identified SR studies, 63 met the inclusion criteria. The majority were conducted in Europe and North America, with limited studies from other regions. In the reviewed studies, all age groups were examined, although they were conducted mainly on adults when compared to children and infants. Both process and outcomes measures of ASPs were examined equally and simultaneously through 25 different concepts, dominated by efficacy, antimicrobial resistance, and economic impact, while information technology as well as role of pharmacy and behavioral factors were equally examined. The main broad conclusions from the review were that, across the globe, ASPs demonstrated effectiveness, proved efficacy, and confirmed efficiency, while focused evaluation advocated that developed countries should target medium- and small-sized hospitals while developing countries should continue rolling ASPs across healthcare facilities. Additionally, the future of ASPs should focus on embracing evolving information technology to bridge the gaps in knowledge, skills, and attitude, as well as to enhance appropriate decision making.

Factors influencing the implementation of decision support systems for antibiotic prescription in hospitals: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Antibiotic resistance is a major health threat. Inappropriate antibiotic use has been shown to be an important determinant of the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Decision support systems for antimicrobial management can support clinicians to optimize antibiotic prescription.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review is to identify factors influencing the implementation of decision support systems for antibiotic prescription in hospitals.

METHODS

A systematic search of factors impeding or facilitating successful implementation of decision support systems for antibiotic prescription was performed in January 2022 in the databases PubMed, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library. Only studies were included which comprised decision support systems in hospitals for prescribing antibiotic therapy, published in English with a qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods study design and between 2011 and 2021. Factors influencing the implementation were identified through text analysis by two reviewers.

RESULTS

A total of 14 publications were identified matching the inclusion criteria. The majority of factors relate to technological and organizational aspects of decision support system implementation. Some factors include the integration of the decision support systems into existing systems, system design, consideration of potential end-users as well as training and support for end-users. In addition, user-related factors, like user attitude towards the system, computer literacy and prior experience with the system seem to be important for successful implementation of decision support systems for antibiotic prescription in hospitals.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate a broad spectrum of factors of decision support system implementation for antibiotic prescription and contributes to the literature by identifying important organizational as well as user-related factors. Wider organizational dimensions as well as the interaction between user and technology appear important for supporting implementation.

Identification of outcomes reported for hospital antimicrobial stewardship interventions using a systematic review of reviews

Background

Randomized trials of hospital antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions aimed to optimize antimicrobial use contribute less to the evidence base due to heterogeneity in outcome selection and reporting. Developing a core outcome set (COS) for these interventions can be a way to address this problem. The first step in developing a COS is to identify and map all outcomes.

Objectives

To identify outcomes reported in systematic reviews of hospital AMS interventions.

Methods

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE and Embase were searched for systematic reviews published up until August 2019 of interventions relevant to reducing unnecessary antimicrobial use for inpatient populations in secondary care hospitals. The methodological quality of included reviews was assessed using AMSTAR-2, A (revised) MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews. Extracted outcomes were analysed using deductive and inductive thematic analysis. A list of overarching (unique) outcomes reflects the outcomes identified within the systematic reviews.

Results

Forty-one systematic reviews were included. Thirty-three (81%) systematic reviews were of critically low or low quality. A long list of 1739 verbatim outcomes was identified and categorized under five core areas of COMET (Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials) taxonomy: 'resources use' (45%), 'physiological/clinical' (27%), 'life impact' (16%), 'death' (8%) and 'adverse events' (4%). A total of 421 conceptually different outcomes were identified and grouped into 196 overarching outcomes.

Conclusions

There is significant heterogeneity in outcomes reported for hospital AMS interventions. Reported outcomes do not cover all domains of the COMET framework and may miss outcomes relevant to patients (e.g. emotional, social functioning, etc.). The included systematic reviews lacked methodological rigour, which warrants further improvements.

Utility of healthcare-worker-targeted antimicrobial stewardship interventions in hospitals of low- and lower-middle-income countries: a scoping review of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) initiatives in hospitals often include the implementation of clustered intervention components to improve the surveillance and targeting of antibiotics. However, impacts of the individual components of AMS interventions are not well known, especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs).

OBJECTIVE

A scoping review was conducted to summarize evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) on the impact of common hospital-implemented healthcare-worker-targeted components of AMS interventions that may be appropriate for LLMICs.

METHODS

Major databases were searched systematically for SRs of AMS interventions that were evaluated in hospitals. For SRs to be eligible, they had to report on at least one intervention that could be categorized according to the Effective Practice and Organisation of Care taxonomy. Clinical and process outcomes were considered. Primary studies from LLMICs were consulted for additional information.

RESULTS

Eighteen SRs of the evaluation of intervention components met the inclusion criteria. The evidence shows that audit and feedback, and clinical practice guidelines improved several clinical and process outcomes in hospitals. An unintended consequence of interventions was an increase in the use of antibiotics. There was a cumulative total of 547 unique studies, but only 2% (N=12) were conducted in hospitals in LLMICs. Two studies in LLMICs reported that guidelines and educational meetings were effective in hospitals.

CONCLUSION

Evidence from high- and upper-middle-income countries suggests that audit and feedback, and clinical practice guidelines have the potential to improve various clinical and process outcomes in hospitals. The lack of evidence in LLMIC settings prevents firm conclusions from being drawn, and highlights the need for further research.

Impact of interactive computerised decision support for hospital antibiotic use (COMPASS): an open-label, cluster-randomised trial in three Swiss hospitals

Background

Computerised decision-support systems (CDSSs) for antibiotic stewardship could help to assist physicians in the appropriate prescribing of antibiotics. However, high-quality evidence for their effect on the quantity and quality of antibiotic use remains scarce. The aim of our study was to assess whether a computerised decision support for antimicrobial stewardship combined with feedback on prescribing indicators can reduce antimicrobial prescriptions for adults admitted to hospital.

Methods

The Computerised Antibiotic Stewardship Study (COMPASS) was a multicentre, cluster-randomised, parallel-group, open-label superiority trial that aimed to assess whether a multimodal computerised antibiotic-stewardship intervention is effective in reducing antibiotic use for adults admitted to hospital. After pairwise matching, 24 wards in three Swiss tertiary-care and secondary-care hospitals were randomised (1:1) to the CDSS intervention or to standard antibiotic stewardship measures using an online random sequence generator. The multimodal intervention consisted of a CDSS providing support for choice, duration, and re-evaluation of antimicrobial therapy, and feedback on antimicrobial prescribing quality. The primary outcome was overall systemic antibiotic use measured in days of therapy per admission, using adjusted-hurdle negative-binomial mixed-effects models. The analysis was done by intention to treat and per protocol. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT03120975).

Findings

24 clusters (16 at Geneva University Hospitals and eight at Ticino Regional Hospitals) were eligible and randomly assigned to control or intervention between Oct 1, 2018, and Dec 31, 2019. Overall, 4578 (40·2%) of 11 384 admissions received antibiotic therapy in the intervention group and 4142 (42·8%) of 9673 in the control group. The unadjusted overall mean days of therapy per admission was slightly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (3·2 days of therapy per admission, SD 6·2, vs 3·5 days of therapy per admission, SD 6·8; p<0·0001), and was similar among patients receiving antibiotics (7·9 days of therapy per admission, SD 7·6, vs 8·1 days of therapy per admission, SD 8·4; p=0·50). After adjusting for confounders, there was no statistically significant difference between groups for the odds of an admission receiving antibiotics (odds ratio [OR] for intervention vs control 1·12, 95% CI 0·94–1·33). For admissions with antibiotic exposure, days of therapy per admission were also similar (incidence rate ratio 0·98, 95% CI 0·90–1·07). Overall, the CDSS was used at least once in 3466 (75·7%) of 4578 admissions with any antibiotic prescription, but from the first day of antibiotic treatment for only 1602 (58·9%) of 2721 admissions in Geneva. For those for whom the CDSS was not used from the first day, mean time to use of CDSS was 8·9 days. Based on the manual review of 1195 randomly selected charts, transition from intravenous to oral therapy was significantly more frequent in the intervention group after adjusting for confounders (154 [76·6%] of 201 vs 187 [87%] of 215, +10·4%; OR 1·9, 95% CI 1·1–3·3). Consultations by infectious disease specialists were less frequent in the intervention group (388 [13·4%] of 2889) versus the control group (405 [16·9%] of 2390; OR 0·84, 95% CI 0·59–1·25).

Interpretation

An integrated multimodal computerised antibiotic stewardship intervention did not significantly reduce overall antibiotic use, the primary outcome of the study. Contributing factors were probably insufficient uptake, a setting with relatively low antibiotic use at baseline, and delays between ward admission and first CDSS use.

Funding

Swiss National Science Foundation.

Translations

For the French and Italian translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Digital interventions for antimicrobial prescribing and monitoring: a qualitative meta-synthesis of factors influencing user acceptance

OBJECTIVE

To understand and synthesize factors influencing user acceptance of digital interventions used for antimicrobial prescribing and monitoring in hospitals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A meta-synthesis was conducted to identify qualitative studies that explored user acceptance of digital interventions for antimicrobial prescribing and/or monitoring in hospitals. Databases were searched and qualitative data were extracted and systematically classified using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model.

RESULTS

Fifteen qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria. Eleven papers used interviews and four used focus groups. Most digital interventions evaluated in studies were decision support for prescribing (n = 13). Majority of perceptions were classified in the UTAUT performance expectancy domain in perceived usefulness and relative advantage constructs. Key facilitators in this domain included systems being trusted and credible sources of information, improving performance of tasks and increasing efficiency. Reported barriers were that interventions were not considered useful for all settings or patient conditions. Facilitating conditions was the second largest domain, which highlights the importance of users having infrastructure to support system use. Digital interventions were viewed positively if they were compatible with values, needs, and experiences of users.

CONCLUSIONS

User perceptions that drive users to accept and utilize digital interventions for antimicrobial prescribing and monitoring were predominantly related to performance expectations and facilitating conditions. To ensure digital interventions for antimicrobial prescribing are accepted and used, we recommend organizations ensure systems are evaluated and benefits are conveyed to users, that utility meets expectations, and that appropriate infrastructure is in place to support use.

In-Hospital Macro-, Meso-, and Micro-Drivers and Interventions for Antibiotic Use and Resistance: A Rapid Evidence Synthesis of Data from Canada and Other OECD Countries

Hospitals continue to face challenges in reducing incorrect antibiotic use due to social and cultural factors at the level of the health system, the care facility, the provider, and the patient. The objective of this paper is to highlight the social and cultural drivers of antimicrobial use and resistance and targeted interventions for secondary and tertiary care settings in Canada and other OECD countries. This paper is an extension of the synthesis conducted for the Public Health Agency of Canada's 2019 Spotlight Report: Preserving Antibiotics Now and Into the Future. We conducted a systematic review with a few modifications to meet rapid timelines. We conducted a search in Ovid MEDLINE and McMaster University's evidence databases for systematic reviews and then for individual Canadian studies. To cast a wider net, we searched OECD organization websites and screened reference lists from systematic reviews. We synthesized the evidence narratively and categorized the evidence into macro-, meso-, and microlevel. A total of 70 studies were (a) from OCED countries and summarized evidence of potential sociocultural antimicrobial resistance and use barriers or facilitators and/or interventions addressing these challenges; (b) systematic reviews with 50% of included studies that are situated in secondary and tertiary settings; and (c) published in Canada's two official languages, English and French. We found that hospital structures and policies may influence antibiotic utilization and variations in antimicrobial management. Microlevel factors may sway inappropriate prescribing among clinicians. The amount and type of antibiotics used may affect resistance rates. Interventions were mainly comprised of antibiotic stewardship and training that modify clinician behavior and that educate patients and carers. This evidence synthesis illustrates the various drivers of, and interventions for, antimicrobial use and resistance at the macro-, meso-, and microlevel in secondary and tertiary settings. We demonstrate that upstream drivers may lead to downstream events that influence antimicrobial resistance.

Improving the Development and Implementation of Audit and Feedback Systems to Support Health Care Workers in Limiting Antimicrobial Resistance in the Hospital: Scoping Review

Background

For eHealth technologies in general and audit and feedback (AF) systems specifically, integrating interdisciplinary theoretical underpinnings is essential, as it increases the likelihood of achieving desired outcomes by ensuring a fit among eHealth technology, stakeholders, and their context. In addition, reporting on the development and implementation process of AF systems, including substantiations of choices, enables the identification of best practices and accumulation of knowledge across studies but is often not elaborated on in publications.

Objective

This scoping review aims to provide insights into the development and implementation strategies for AF systems for a real-world problem that threatens modern health care—antimicrobial resistance—and provide an interdisciplinary conceptual framework that can serve as a checklist and guidance for making informed choices in the development and implementation of future AF systems.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted by querying PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, and Embase (≥2010) for studies describing either the development or implementation process, or both, of an AF system for antimicrobial resistance or infections in hospitals. Studies reporting only on effectiveness or impact were excluded. A total of 3 independent reviewers performed the study selection, and 2 reviewers constructed the conceptual framework through the axial and selective coding of often-used theories, models, and frameworks (TMFs) from the literature on AF and eHealth development and implementation. Subsequently, the conceptual framework was used for the systematic extraction and interpretation of the studies’ descriptions of AF systems and their development and implementation.

Results

The search resulted in 2125 studies that were screened for eligibility, of which 12 (0.56%); 2012-2020) were included. These studies described the development and implementation processes heterogeneously in terms of study aims, study targets, target groups, methods, and theoretical underpinnings. Few studies have explicitly explained how choices for the development and implementation of AF systems were substantiated by the TMFs. The conceptual framework provided insights into what is reported on the development and implementation process and revealed underreported AF system constructs (eg, AF system design; engagement with the AF system; and comparison, goal setting, and action planning) and development and implementation (eg, champions) constructs.

Conclusions

This scoping review showed the current heterogeneous reporting of AF systems and their development and implementation processes and exemplified how interdisciplinary TMFs can (and should) be balanced in a conceptual framework to capture relevant AF systems and development and implementation constructs. Thereby, it provides a concrete checklist and overall guidance that supports the professionalization and harmonization of AF system development and implementation. For the development and implementation of future AF systems and other eHealth technologies, researchers and health care workers should be supported in selecting and integrating TMFs into their development and implementation process and encouraged to explicitly report on theoretical underpinnings and the substantiation of choices.

"Antibiotic hardstop" on electronic prescribing: impact on antimicrobial stewardship initiatives in patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) and infective exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (IECOPD)

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a major public health threat and the exploration of interventions which may reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use are of particular interest. An Antibiotic Hardstop (AH) was included within the eMeds system introduced to the Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) in 2018. The function allows prescribers to set a predetermined time at which antibiotic orders would cease. By default, the function set prescribed length to 5 days with a view to encourage prescribers to review existing antimicrobial orders and reduce inappropriate use.

METHODS

Records of adult inpatients prescribed broad spectrum antimicrobials with a registered indication of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) or an infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (IECOPD) between the 1st of March 2017 and 31st May 2017 for the pre eMeds cohort and 1st March 2019 and 31st May 2019 for the post eMeds cohort were randomly selected from our local health network's Guidance MS^® system. Baseline demographics, antimicrobial prescribing records and documented adverse events related to the AH function were collated/analysed. The days of therapy (DOT) and length of therapy (LOT) for each encounter were calculated manually and results analysed using a two-tailed t-test or Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS

Of patients eligible to have the AH function activated during their admission, 34% (n = 34) had the function deployed at least once. Following the introduction of eMeds mean DOT for the pooled indications cohort was reduced by 3.02 days (CI 95% 0.41-5.63, p < 0.05) and mean LOT by 1.97 days (CI 95% 0.39-3.55, p < 0.05). The hardstop function resulted in 2 cases of delayed or unintentionally ceased therapies.

CONCLUSIONS

Following the introduction of electronic prescribing and AH, a significant reduction was observed in the DOT and LOT for antimicrobial use for inpatients with CAP and IECOPD without a significant increase in adverse events. Further research is required to determine the extent to which the AH functionality directly contributed to this effect and if the effect is present across a broader range of indications.

OUP accepted manuscript

Background

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes in hospitals support optimal antimicrobial use by utilizing strategies such as restriction policies and education. Several systematic reviews on digital interventions supporting AMS have been conducted but they have focused on specific interventions and outcomes.

Objectives

To provide a systematic overview and synthesis of evidence on the effectiveness of digital interventions to improve antimicrobial prescribing and monitoring in hospitals.

Methods

Multiple databases were searched from 2010 onwards. Review papers were eligible if they included studies that examined the effectiveness of AMS digital interventions in an inpatient hospital setting. Papers were excluded if they were not systematic reviews, were limited to a paediatric setting, or were not in English.

Results

Eight systematic reviews were included for data extraction. A large number of digital interventions were evaluated, with a strong focus on clinical decision support. Due to the heterogeneity of the interventions and outcome measures, a meta-analysis could not be performed. The majority of reviews reported that digital interventions reduced antimicrobial use and improved antimicrobial appropriateness. The impact of digital interventions on clinical outcomes was inconsistent.

Conclusions

Digital interventions reduce antimicrobial use and improve antimicrobial appropriateness in hospitals, but no firm conclusions can be drawn about the degree to which different types of digital interventions achieve these outcomes. Evaluation of sociotechnical aspects of digital intervention implementation is limited, despite the critical role that user acceptance, uptake and feasibility play in ensuring improvements in AMS are achieved with digital health.

Can evidence-based decision support tools transform antibiotic management? A systematic review and meta-analyses

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) at reducing unnecessary and suboptimal antibiotic prescribing within different healthcare settings.

METHODS

A systematic review of published studies was undertaken with seven databases from database inception to November 2018. A protocol was developed using the PRISMA-P checklist and study selection criteria were determined prior to performing the search. Critical appraisal of studies was undertaken using relevant tools. Meta-analyses were performed using a random-effects model to determine whether CDSS use affected optimal antibiotic management.

RESULTS

Fifty-seven studies were identified that reported on CDSS effectiveness. Most were non-randomized studies with low methodological quality. However, randomized controlled trials of moderate methodological quality were available and assessed separately. The meta-analyses indicated that appropriate antibiotic therapy was twice as likely to occur following the implementation of CDSSs (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.82-2.86, k = 20). The use of CDSSs was also associated with a relative decrease (18%) in mortality (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.73-0.91, k = 18). CDSS implementation also decreased the overall volume of antibiotic use, length of hospital stay, duration and cost of therapy. The magnitude of the effect did vary by study design, but the direction of the effect was consistent in favouring CDSSs.

CONCLUSIONS

Decision support tools can be effective to improve antibiotic prescribing, although there is limited evidence available on use in primary care. Our findings suggest that a focus on system requirements and implementation processes would improve CDSS uptake and provide more definitive benefits for antibiotic stewardship.

The use of theory in the development and evaluation of behaviour change interventions to improve antimicrobial prescribing: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review (SR) reviews the evidence on use of theory in developing and evaluating behaviour change interventions (BCIs) to improve clinicians' antimicrobial prescribing (AP).

METHODS

The SR protocol was registered with PROSPERO. Eleven databases were searched from inception to October 2018 for peer-reviewed, English-language, primary literature in any healthcare setting and for any medical condition. This included research on changing behavioural intentions (e.g. in simulated scenarios) and research measuring actual AP. All study designs/methodologies were included. Excluded were: grey literature and/or those which did not state a theory. Two reviewers independently extracted and quality assessed the data. The Theory Coding Scheme (TCS) evaluated the extent of the use of theory.

RESULTS

Searches found 4227 potentially relevant papers after removal of duplicates. Screening of titles/abstracts led to dual assessment of 38 full-text papers. Ten (five quantitative, three qualitative and two mixed-methods) met the inclusion criteria. Studies were conducted in the UK (n = 8), Canada (n = 1) and Sweden (n = 1), most in primary care settings (n = 9), targeting respiratory tract infections (n = 8), and medical doctors (n = 10). The most common theories used were Theory of Planned Behaviour (n = 7), Social Cognitive Theory (n = 5) and Operant Learning Theory (n = 5). The use of theory to inform the design and choice of intervention varied, with no optimal use as recommended in the TCS.

CONCLUSIONS

This SR is the first to investigate theoretically based BCIs around AP. Few studies were identified; most were suboptimal in theory use. There is a need to consider how theory is used and reported and the systematic use of the TCS could help.

Routine Health Information Systems in the European Context: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews

(1) Background: The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of the requirements to improve routine health information systems (RHISs) for the management of health systems, including the identification of best practices, opportunities, and challenges in the 53 countries and territories of the WHO European region. (2) Methods: We conducted an overview of systematics reviews and searched the literature in the databases MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Web of Science electronic databases. After a meticulous screening, we identified 20 that met the inclusion criteria, and RHIS evaluation results were presented according to the Performance of Routine Information System Management (PRISM) framework. (3) Results: The reviews were published between 2007 and 2020, focusing on the use of different systems or technologies and aimed to analyze interventions on professionals, centers, or patients' outcomes. All reviews examined showed variability in results in accordance with the variability of interventions and target populations. We have found different areas for improvement for RHISs according to the three determinants of the PRISM framework that influence the configuration of RHISs: technical, organizational, or behavioral elements. (4) Conclusions: RHIS interventions in the European region are promising. However, new global and international strategies and the development of tools and mechanisms should be promoted to highly integrate platforms among European countries.

Use of Procalcitonin and a Respiratory Polymerase Chain Reaction Panel to Reduce Antibiotic Use via an Electronic Medical Record Alert

Background

Respiratory tract infections are often viral and but are frequently treated with antibiotics, providing a significant opportunity for antibiotic de-escalation in patients. We sought to determine whether an automated electronic medical record best practice alert (BPA) based on procalcitonin and respiratory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results could help reduce inappropriate antibiotic use in patients with likely viral respiratory illness.

Methods

This multisite, pre–post, quasi-experimental study included patients 18 years and older with a procalcitonin level <0.25 ng/mL and a virus identified on respiratory PCR within 48 hours of each other, and 1 or more systemic antibiotics ordered. In the study group, a BPA alerted providers of the diagnostic results suggesting viral infection and prompted them to reassess the need for antibiotics. The primary outcome measured was total antibiotic-days of therapy.

Results

The BPA reduced inpatient antibiotic-days of therapy by a mean of 2.2 days compared with patients who met criteria but did not have the alert fire (8.0 vs 5.8 days, respectively, P < .001). The BPA also reduced the percentage of patients prescribed antibiotics on discharge (20% vs 47.8%, P < .001), whereas there was no difference in need for antibiotic escalation after initial discontinuation (7.6% vs 4.3%, P = .198).

Conclusions

The automated antimicrobial stewardship BPA effectively reduced antibiotic use and discharge prescribing rates when diagnostics suggested viral respiratory tract infection, without a higher rate for reinitiation of antibiotics after discontinuation.

Information technology interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing for patients with acute respiratory infection: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Information technology (IT) interventions provide physicians with easy and quick access to information at the point of care and can play a major role in clinical decision-making for antibiotic prescribing. This study aimed to examine the effects and characteristics of IT interventions on improving antibiotic prescribing for patients with acute respiratory infection (ARI).

METHODS

A comprehensive search was performed in Medline (through PubMed), ISI web of science, Embase, and Cochrane databases from inception to 31 August 2020. Randomized controlled trial (RCT) and cluster RCT (CRCT) studies examining the effectiveness of IT interventions in improving antibiotic prescribing for patients with ARI were included. Participants were patients with ARI. IT interventions were used for improving antibiotic prescribing. Two researchers independently extracted data from studies on methods, characteristics of interventions, and results. The characteristics of interventions were extracted based on three dimensions of IT design, data entry source, and implementation characteristics.

RESULTS

Eighteen studies (15 CRCTs and three RCTs) were included. Most of included studies (n = 11) were conducted in the United States. In 12 studies (66.7%), IT interventions improved the level of antibiotic prescribing, and in eight of the 12 studies the effect was statistically significant. In two studies the intervention had a statistically significant negative effect, and in two studies the level of antibiotic prescribing was not changed. Seventeen studies (94.4%) used clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) for the intervention. In 12 studies (66.7%) CDSSs were integrated with electronic health records (EHRs).

CONCLUSIONS

Information technology interventions have the potential to improve prescription of antibiotics for patients with acute respiratory infection and to change physicians' behaviours in this regard. Factors affecting the acceptance of IT-based interventions to improve prescription of antibiotics should be investigated in future studies.

Feasibility study of hospital antimicrobial stewardship analytics using electronic health records

BACKGROUND

Hospital antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes are multidisciplinary initiatives to optimize antimicrobial use. Most hospitals depend on time-consuming manual audits to monitor clinicians' prescribing. But much of the information needed could be sourced from electronic health records (EHRs).

OBJECTIVES

To develop an informatics methodology to analyse characteristics of hospital AMS practice using routine electronic prescribing and laboratory records.

METHODS

Feasibility study using electronic prescribing, laboratory and clinical coding records from adult patients admitted to six specialities at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK (September 2017-August 2018). The study involved: (i) a review of AMS standards of care; (ii) their translation into concepts measurable from commonly available EHRs; and (iii) a pilot application in an EHR cohort study (n = 61679 admissions).

RESULTS

We developed data modelling methods to characterize antimicrobial use (antimicrobial therapy episode linkage methods, therapy table, therapy changes). Prescriptions were linked into antimicrobial therapy episodes (mean 2.4 prescriptions/episode; mean length of therapy 5.8 days), enabling several actionable findings. For example, 22% of therapy episodes for low-severity community-acquired pneumonia were congruent with prescribing guidelines, with a tendency to use broader-spectrum antibiotics. Analysis of therapy changes revealed IV to oral therapy switching was delayed by an average 3.6 days (95% CI: 3.4-3.7). Microbial cultures were performed prior to treatment initiation in just 22% of antibacterial prescriptions. The proposed methods enabled fine-grained monitoring of AMS practice down to specialities, wards and individual clinical teams by case mix, enabling more meaningful peer comparison.

CONCLUSIONS

It is feasible to use hospital EHRs to construct rapid, meaningful measures of prescribing quality with potential to support quality improvement interventions (audit/feedback to prescribers), engagement with front-line clinicians on optimizing prescribing, and AMS impact evaluation studies.

Clinical decision support systems-based interventions to improve medication outcomes: A systematic literature review on features and effects

Background: Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) interventions were used to improve the life quality and safety in patients and also to improve practitioner performance, especially in the field of medication. Therefore, the aim of the paper was to summarize the available evidence on the impact, outcomes and significant factors on the implementation of CDSS in the field of medicine. Methods: This study is a systematic literature review. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, and ProQuest were investigated by 15 February 2017. The inclusion requirements were met by 98 papers, from which 13 had described important factors in the implementation of CDSS, and 86 were medicated-related. We categorized the system in terms of its correlation with medication in which a system was implemented, and our intended results were examined. In this study, the process outcomes (such as; prescription, drug-drug interaction, drug adherence, etc.), patient outcomes, and significant factors affecting the implementation of CDSS were reviewed. Results: We found evidence that the use of medication-related CDSS improves clinical outcomes. Also, significant results were obtained regarding the reduction of prescription errors, and the improvement in quality and safety of medication prescribed. Conclusion: The results of this study show that, although computer systems such as CDSS may cause errors, in most cases, it has helped to improve prescribing, reduce side effects and drug interactions, and improve patient safety. Although these systems have improved the performance of practitioners and processes, there has not been much research on the impact of these systems on patient outcomes.

Patterns, price and predictors of successful empiric antibiotic therapy in a real-world setting

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE

Prompt and appropriate empiric antibiotic therapy (EAT) remains the cornerstone of successful outcomes, while the majority of blood cultures do not identify pathogen. We aimed to report patterns of EAT and its impact on outcomes and associated medical costs, while exploring predictors of its success in a real-world setting.

METHODS

We retrospectively utilized the prospective registry of the medical unit of a tertiary university hospital, including patients admitted with diagnosis of infection between 1st May 2016 and 1st May 2018. Costs of hospitalization and unit of antibiotic regimen were retrieved from a database regarding Greek hospitals containing hospitalization-cost data for each ICD-10 code and the national formulary, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 489 patients were included in this study. Mean age was 61.3 years, 53% were males, while intra-abdominal infections predominated (55%). The most commonly administered EAT included quinolones (48%), followed by piperacillin/tazobactam (18%), or other regimens alone or in combination. EAT was successful in 67% and failed in 33% of cases. Fourteen patients died of the infection before EAT was switched, while among 55 patients that EAT had to be modified, mortality was 22%. Presence of urinary tract infection and use of quinolones, least predicted for failure of EAT [OR:0.15 (0.07-0.35), p < 0.0001, OR:0.53 (0.32-0.90), p = 0.019, respectively], in contrast to presence of sepsis [OR:3.11 (1.79-5.40), p < 0.0001]. Patients with failure had longer length of stay [7(5-11) versus 4 (3-6) days], higher antibiotic [201.9 (97.8-471.8) vs 104.6 (60.2-187.7) euros] and hospitalization costs [1409.3 (945.4-2311.6) vs 759.4 (516.5-1036.5) euros] (p < 0.0001).

DISCUSSION

We observed significantly increased antibiotic-related, healthcare-related costs and length of stay in patients with failure of EAT. Moreover, in our cohort, absence of sepsis, presence of urinary tract infection and use of quinolones better predicted for success of EAT.

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSIONS

Appropriate selection of EAT is crucial to ensure better outcomes and minimize costs.

Nudging clinicians: A systematic scoping review of the literature

BACKGROUND

While the quality of medical care delivered by physicians can be very good, it can also be inconsistent and feature behaviours that are entrenched despite updated information and evidence. The "nudge" paradigm for behaviour change is being used to bring clinical practice in line with desired standards. The premise is that behaviour can be voluntarily shifted by making particular choices instinctively appealing. We reviewed studies that are explicit about their use of nudge theory in influencing clinician behaviour.

METHODS

Databases were searched from April 2008 (the publication date of the book that introduced nudge theory to a wider audience) to November 2018, inclusive. The search strategy and narrative review of results addressed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews.

RESULTS

22 studies were identified. Randomized trials or pre-post comparisons were generally used in community-based settings; single-site pre-post studies were favoured in hospitals. The studies employed eight intervention types: active choice; patient chart redesign; default and default alerts; partitioning of prescription menus; audit and feedback; commitment messages; peer comparisons; and redirection of workflow. Three core cognitive factors underpinned the eight interventions: bias towards prominent choices (salience); predisposition to social norms; and bias towards time or cost savings.

CONCLUSIONS

Published studies that are explicit about their use of nudge theory are few in number and diverse in their settings, targets, and results. Default and chart re-design interventions reported the most substantial improvements in adherence to evidence and guideline-based practice. Studies that are explicit in their use of nudge theory address the widespread failure of clinical practice studies to identify theoretical frameworks for interventions. However, few studies identified in our review engaged in research to understand the contextual and site-specific barriers to a desired behaviour before designing a nudge intervention.

Assessment of antimicrobial stewardship programs within governmental hospitals in Qatar: a SWOC analysis

OBJECTIVES

Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide public health issue that requires emergent action. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) have been proposed as a strategy to minimise resistance. Although ASPs were implemented in governmental hospitals in Qatar since 2015, a formal evaluation of these programs has not been conducted. We aimed to assess the status of ASPs in Qatar and to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges (SWOC) to further enhance ASPs within Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).

METHODS

Lead stakeholders of ASPs in HMC filled a questionnaire adapted from the 2019 Centers for Disease Control Prevention checklist for ASPs. Notes were taken by research team to assist in formulating a SWOC analysis.

KEY FINDINGS

All hospitals (12/12) had an infectious diseases physician and pharmacist designated as an ASP leader (major strength identified). Almost all hospitals lack a financial statement and information technology resources to support ASPs (major weaknesses identified). Nine hospitals had an antibiotic pre-authorisation policy and adopted a prospective audit with feedback strategy. Among hospitals surveyed, 11 hospitals tracked antibiotic use by measuring the defined daily dose, and only four hospitals tracked rates of Clostridioides difficile infection. Qatar's rich economy supports the allocation of financial resources and budgeting to improve ASPs despite the increased emergence of resistant organisms and the limited resources currently available to expand ASPs across the country's healthcare settings.

CONCLUSIONS

Although ASPs were implemented in all governmental hospitals in Qatar, national efforts and more resources are needed to further develop and improve these programs.

Standardization of post-operative antimicrobials reduced exposure while maintaining good outcomes in pediatric liver transplant recipients

Infections following orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) result in significant morbidity and mortality, warranting careful consideration of risks associated with antibiotic overuse and benefits of infection prevention. In the absence of specific guidelines for antimicrobial prophylaxis in pediatric OLT, we developed a standardized approach to post-operative (post-op) antimicrobial therapy including 48 hours of antibiotics, no vancomycin for post-op fever within the first 48 hours, and caspofungin only for certain situations. The goal was to reduce antimicrobial utilization and adverse outcomes associated with longer duration of and broader treatment while maintaining good outcomes. The impact of this standardization on antimicrobial utilization and clinical outcomes at the largest pediatric liver transplant center in the United States is described. All individuals receiving an OLT from 1/1/17-9/30/17 (N = 38) and 3/14/18-12/13/18 (N = 27) were included in the pre-intervention (PreI) and post-intervention (PostI) groups, respectively. The intervention resulted in a significant reduction in individuals receiving post-op broad-spectrum gram-negative antibiotics for >48 hours (76% PreI vs 44% PostI OLT recipients, P = .01) and post-op vancomycin use (50% PreI, vs 7.4% PostI, P < .001). There were no statistically significant differences between groups for post-op fever, positive pre-/post-operative cultures, receipt of massive transfusion, or hospital length of stay. In conclusion, following the implementation of a standardized approach to post-op prophylaxis, antimicrobial exposure was significantly reduced without affecting OLT recipient outcomes.

Open-label, single-centre, cluster-randomised controlled trial to Evaluate the Potential Impact of Computerisedantimicrobial stewardship (EPIC) on the antimicrobial use after cardiovascular surgeries: EPIC trial study original protocol

INTRODUCTION

Inappropriate antimicrobial use increases the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Surgeons are reluctant to implement recommendations of guidelines in clinical practice. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is effective in antimicrobial management, but it remains labour intensive. The computerised decision support system (CDSS) has been identified as an effective way to enable key elements of AMS in clinical settings. However, insufficient evidence is available to evaluate the efficacy of computerised AMS in surgical settings.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The Evaluate of the Potential Impact of Computerised AMS trial is an open-label, single-centre, two-arm, cluster-randomised, controlled trial, which aims to determine whether a multicomponent CDSS intervention reduces overall antimicrobial use after cardiovascular surgeries compared with usual clinical care in a specialty hospital with a big volume of cardiovascular surgeries. Eighteen cardiovascular surgical teams will be randomised 1:1 to either the intervention or the control arm. The intervention will consist of (1) re-evaluation alerts and decision support for the duration of antimicrobial treatment decision, (2) re-evaluation alerts and decision support for the choice of antimicrobial, (3) quality control audit and feedback. The primary outcome will be the overall systemic antimicrobial use measured in days of therapy (DOT) per admission and DOT per 1000 patient-days over the whole intervention period (6 months). Secondary outcomes include a series of indices to evaluate antimicrobial use, microbial resistance, perioperative infection outcomes, patient safety, resource consumption, and user compliance and satisfaction.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The Ethics Committee in Fuwai Hospital approved this study (2020-1329). The results of the trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04328090.

Using the clinical information system and self-supervision to rationalize the need for antibiotic stewardship: An interventional study in a 2000-bed university hospital

OBJECTIVES

To describe the usefulness of electronic medical records (EMRs) and a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system to support and assess an antimicrobial stewardship programme (ASP).

METHODS

At the study hospital, infectious diseases specialists supervise antimicrobial prescription when solicited by physicians in charge of patients. From January to October 2015, treatment days of antibiotic prescription, supervised or unsupervised by infectious disease specialists (SAP or UAP, respectively) in all wards, except intensive care units emergency department, bone marrow transplantation units, and paediatric units, were calculated. Embedding recommendations on carbapenem indications as a checklist into the CPOE system, a self-administered ASP was implemented in 2017. EMRs were reviewed to determine global compliance with carbapenem prescription guidelines (combining introduction of therapy and 72-h assessment) before and after implementation of a self-administered ASP in departments with a low SAP rate for these antibiotics.

RESULTS

Among 16 090 prescriptions extracted, 19.9% were SAPs. Three patterns of prescription were identified. The first pattern (amoxicillin-clavulanate, ceftriaxone) was characterized by a high UAP rate in every department, the second pattern (cloxacillin, rifampin) was characterized by a high SAP rate in every department, and the third pattern (broad-spectrum beta-lactams) was characterized by heterogeneous distribution of SAP/UAP among departments. Carbapenem prescription was reviewed in five departments with a low SAP rate for carbapenems over 6 months: 94 before and 107 after implementation of the self-administered ASP. Global compliance with guidelines increased significantly from 22% to 37% (risk difference 15%, 95% confidence interval 2.3-28.5%; P=0.02).

CONCLUSION

A clinical information system may help to rationalize antibiotic stewardship in a context of scarce medical resources. Mapping of antibiotic prescriptions and self-supervision are efficient, complementary and easy-to-implement tools.

Use of stewardship smartphone applications by physicians and prescribing of antimicrobials in hospitals: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs promote appropriate use of antimicrobials and reduce antimicrobial resistance. Technological developments have resulted in smartphone applications (apps) facilitating AMS. Yet, their impact is unclear.

OBJECTIVES

Systematically review AMS apps and their impact on prescribing by physicians treating in-hospital patients.

DATA SOURCES

EMBASE, MEDLINE (Ovid), Cochrane Central, Web of Science and Google Scholar.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Studies focusing on smartphone or tablet apps and antimicrobial therapy published from January 2008 until February 28th 2019 were included.

PARTICIPANTS

Physicians treating in-hospital patients.

INTERVENTIONS

AMS apps.

METHODS

Systematic review.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies met the eligibility criteria. None was a randomized controlled trial. Methodological study quality was considered low to moderate in all but three qualitative studies. The primary outcomes were process indicators, adherence to guidelines and user experience. Guidelines were more frequently accessed by app (53.0% - 89.6%) than by desktop in three studies. Adherence to guidelines increased (6.5% - 74.0%) significantly for several indications after app implementation in four studies. Most users considered app use easy (77.4%->90.0%) and useful (71.0%->90%) in three studies and preferred it over guideline access by web viewer or booklet in two studies. However, some physicians regarded app use adjacent to colleagues or patients unprofessional in three qualitative studies. Susceptibility to several antimicrobials changed significantly post-intervention (from 5% decrease to 10% - 14% increase) in one study.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of AMS apps seems to promote access to and knowledge of antimicrobial prescribing policy, and increase adherence to guidelines in hospitals. However, this has been assessed in a limited number of studies and for specific indications. Good quality studies are necessary to properly assess the impact of AMS apps on antimicrobial prescribing. To improve adherence to antimicrobial guidelines, use of AMS apps could be considered.

[Prevention and control of antimicrobial stewardship: a review of evidenceGestión de las intervenciones en materia de prevención y control de la resistencia a los antimicrobianos en los hospitales: revisión de la evidencia]

Objective

To identify effective interventions to manage antimicrobial resistance in hospital settings and potential barriers to their implementation.

Method

A synthesis of evidence for health policy was performed using SUPPORT tools. Literature searches were performed in November and December 2018 in 14 databases. A face-to-face deliberative dialogue workshop to identify implementation barriers was performed with 23 participants (manager, researchers, and health care professionals) and 14 listeners divided into three groups. Researchers with experience in deliberative dialogue acted as facilitators.

Results

Twenty-seven systematic reviews focusing on antimicrobial stewardship using combined or individual strategies were identified. The interventions included education, electronic systems, use of biomarkers, and several strategies of antimicrobial management. The main barriers to the implementation of interventions, identified in the literature and deliberative dialogue workshop, were poor infrastructure and insufficient human resources, patient complaints regarding the treatment received, cultural differences within the multidisciplinary team, work overload, and lack of financing/planning.

Conclusion

Most of the strategies identified were effective for antimicrobial stewardship in hospital settings. The reliability of results may be strengthened with the performance of additional research of higher methodological quality.

E-Health Tools to Improve Antibiotic Use and Resistances: A Systematic Review

(1) Background: e-Health tools, especially in the form of clinical decision support systems (CDSSs), have been emerging more quickly than ever before. The main objective of this systematic review is to assess the influence of these tools on antibiotic use for respiratory tract infections. (2) Methods: The scientific databases, MEDLINE-PubMed and EMBASE, were searched. The search was conducted by two independent researchers. The search strategy was mainly designed to identify relevant studies on the effectiveness of CDSSs in improving antibiotic use, as a primary outcome, and on the acceptability and usability of CDSSs, as a secondary outcome. (3) Results: After the selection, 22 articles were included. The outcomes were grouped either into antibiotics prescription practices or adherence to guidelines concerning antibiotics prescription. Overall, 15 out of the 22 studies had statistically significant outcomes related to the interventions. (4) Conclusions: Overall, the results show a positive impact on the prescription and conscientious use of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections, both with respect to patients and prescribing healthcare professionals. CDSSs have been shown to have great potential as powerful tools for improving both clinical care and patient outcomes.

Finding the match between healthcare worker and expert for optimal audit and feedback on antimicrobial resistance prevention measures

Background

The potentials of audit and feedback (AF) to improve healthcare are currently not exploited. To unlock the potentials of AF, this study focused on the process of making sense of audit data and translating data into actionable feedback by studying a specific AF-case: limiting antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This was done via audit and feedback of AMR prevention measures (APM) that are executed by healthcare workers (HCW) in their day-to-day contact with patients. This study’s aim was to counterbalance the current predominantly top-down, expert-driven audit and feedback approach for APM, with needs and expectations of HCW.

Methods

Qualitative semi-structured interviews were held with sixteen HCW (i.e. physicians, residents and nurses) from high-risk AMR departments at a regional hospital in The Netherlands. Deductive coding was succeeded by open and axial coding to establish main codes, subcodes and variations within codes.

Results

HCW demand insights from audits into all facets of APM in their working routines (i.e. diagnostics, treatment and infection control), preferably in the form of simple and actionable feedback that invites interdisciplinary discussions, so that substantiated actions for improvement can be implemented. AF should not be seen as an isolated ad-hoc intervention, but as a recurrent, long-term, and organic improvement strategy that balances the primary aims of HCW (i.e. improving quality and safety of care for individual patients and HCW) and AMR-experts (i.e. reducing the burden of AMR).

Conclusions

To unlock the learning and improvement potentials of audit and feedback, HCW’ and AMR-experts’ perspectives should be balanced throughout the whole AF-loop (incl. data collection, analysis, visualization, feedback and planning, implementing and monitoring actions). APM-AF should be flexible, so that both audit (incl. collecting and combining the right data in an efficient and transparent manner) and feedback (incl. persuasive and actionable feedback) can be tailored to the needs of various target groups. To balance HCW’ and AMR-experts’ perspectives a participatory holistic AF development approach is advocated.

Customer relationship management systems (CRMS) in the healthcare environment: A systematic literature review

Customer relationship management (CRM) is an innovative technology that seeks to improve customer satisfaction, loyalty, and profitability by acquiring, developing, and maintaining effective customer relationships and interactions with stakeholders. Numerous researches on CRM have made significant progress in several areas such as telecommunications, banking, and manufacturing, but research specific to the healthcare environment is very limited. This systematic review aims to categorise, summarise, synthesise, and appraise the research on CRM in the healthcare environment, considering the absence of coherent and comprehensive scholarship of disparate data on CRM. Various databases were used to conduct a comprehensive search of studies that examine CRM in the healthcare environment (including hospitals, clinics, medical centres, and nursing homes). Analysis and evaluation of 19 carefully selected studies revealed three main research categories: (i) social CRM 'eCRM'; (ii) implementing CRMS; and (iii) adopting CRMS; with positive outcomes for CRM both in terms of patients relationship/communication with hospital, satisfaction, medical treatment/outcomes and empowerment and hospitals medical operation, productivity, cost, performance, efficiency and service quality. This is the first systematic review to comprehensively synthesise and summarise empirical evidence from disparate CRM research data (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed) in the healthcare environment. Our results revealed that substantial gaps exist in the knowledge of using CRM in the healthcare environment. Future research should focus on exploring: (i) other potential factors, such as patient characteristics, culture (of both the patient and hospital), knowledge management, trust, security, and privacy for implementing and adopting CRMS and (ii) other CRM categories, such as mobile CRM (mCRM) and data mining CRM.

Study protocol for an international, multicentre stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial to evaluate the impact of a digital antimicrobial stewardship smartphone application

INTRODUCTION

With the widespread use of electronic health records and handheld electronic devices in hospitals, informatics-based antimicrobial stewardship interventions hold great promise as tools to promote appropriate antimicrobial drug prescribing. However, more research is needed to evaluate their optimal design and impact on quantity and quality of antimicrobial prescribing.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Use of smartphone-based digital stewardship applications (apps) with local guideline directed empirical antimicrobial use by physicians will be compared with antimicrobial prescription as per usual as primary outcome in three hospitals in the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. Secondary outcomes will include antimicrobial use metrics, clinical and process outcomes. A multicentre stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial will randomise entities defined as wards or specialty regarding time of introduction of the intervention. We will include 36 hospital entities with seven measurement periods in which the primary outcome will be measured in 15 participating patients per time period per cluster. At participating wards, patients of at least 18 years of age using antimicrobials will be included. After a baseline period of 2-week measurements, six periods of 4 weeks will follow in which the intervention is introduced in 6 wards (in three hospitals) until all 36 wards have implemented the intervention. Thereafter, we allow use of the app by everyone, and evaluate the sustainability of the app use 6 months later.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This protocol has been approved by the institutional review board of each participating centre. Results will be disseminated via media, to healthcare professionals via professional training and meetings and to researchers via conferences and publications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT03793946). Stage; pre-results.

The impact of a computerised decision support system on antibiotic usage in an English hospital

Background Antimicrobial resistance is correlated with the inappropriate use of antibiotics. Computerised decision support systems may help practitioners to make evidence-based decisions when prescribing antibiotics. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the impact of computerized decision support systems on the volume of antibiotics used. Setting A very large 1200-bed teaching hospital in Birmingham, England. Main outcome measure The primary outcome measure was the defined daily doses/1000 occupied bed-days. Method A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted to examine the impact of computerised decision support systems on the volume of antibiotic use. The study compared two periods: one with computerised decision support systems, which lasted for 2 years versus one without which lasted for 2 years after the withdrawal of computerised decision support systems. Antibiotic use data from June 2012 to June 2016 were analysed (comprising 2 years with computerised decision support systems immediately followed by 2 years where computerised decision support systems had been withdrawn). Regression analysis was applied to assess the change in antibiotic consumption through the period of the study. Result From June 2012 to June 2016, total antibiotic usage increased by 13.1% from 1436 to 1625 defined daily doses/1000 bed-days: this trend of increased antibiotic prescribing was more pronounced following the withdrawal of structured prescribing (computerised decision support systems). There was a difference of means of - 110.14 defined daily doses/1000 bed days of the total usage of antibiotics in the period with and without structured prescribing, and this was statistically significant (p = 0.026). From June 2012 to June 2016, the dominant antibiotic class used was penicillins. The trends for the total consumption of all antibiotics demonstrated an increase of use for all antibiotic classes except for tetracyclines, quinolones, and anti-mycobacterial drugs, whereas aminoglycoside usage remained stable. Conclusion The implementation of computerised decision support systems appears to influence the use of antibiotics by reducing their consumption. Further research is required to determine the specific features of computerised decision support systems, which influence increased higher adoption and uptake of this technology.

Unintended adverse consequences of a clinical decision support system: two cases

Many institutions have implemented clinical decision support systems (CDSSs). While CDSS research papers have focused on benefits of these systems, there is a smaller body of literature showing that CDSSs may also produce unintended adverse consequences (UACs). Detailed here are 2 cases of UACs resulting from a CDSS. Both of these cases were related to external systems that fed data into the CDSS. In the first case, lack of knowledge of data categorization in an external pharmacy system produced a UAC; in the second case, the change of a clinical laboratory instrument produced the UAC. CDSSs rely on data from many external systems. These systems are dynamic and may have changes in hardware, software, vendors, or processes. Such changes can affect the accuracy of CDSSs. These cases point to the need for the CDSS team to be familiar with these external systems. This team (manager and alert builders) should include members in specific clinical specialties with deep knowledge of these external systems.

How to start an antimicrobial stewardship programme in a hospital

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) describes a coherent set of actions that ensure optimal use of antimicrobials to improve patient outcomes, while limiting the risk of adverse events (including antimicrobial resistance (AMR)). Introduction of AMS programmes in hospitals is part of most national action plans to mitigate AMR, yet the optimal components and actions of such a programme remain undetermined.

OBJECTIVES

To describe how health-care professionals can start an AMS programme in their hospital, the components of such a programme and the evidence base for its implementation.

SOURCES

National and society-led guidelines on AMS, peer-reviewed publications and experience of AMS experts conducting AMS programmes.

CONTENT

We provide a step-by-step pragmatic guide to setting up and implementing a hospital AMS programme in high-income or low-and-middle-income countries.

IMPLICATIONS

Antimicrobial stewardship programmes in hospitals are a vital component of national action plans for AMR, and have been shown to significantly reduce AMR, particularly when coupled with infection prevention and control interventions. This step-by-step guide of 'how to' set up an AMS programme will help health-care professionals involved in AMS to optimally design and implement their actions.

Cross-border comparison of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and AMR prevention measures: the healthcare workers' perspective

Background

Cross-border healthcare may promote the spread of multidrug-resistant microorganisms (MDRO) and is challenging due to heterogeneous antimicrobial resistance (AMR) prevention measures (APM). The aim of this article is to compare healthcare workers (HCW) from Germany (DE) and The Netherlands (NL) on how they perceive and experience AMR and APM, which is important for safe patient exchange and effective cross-border APM cooperation.

Methods

A survey was conducted amongst HCW (n = 574) in hospitals in DE (n = 305) and NL (n = 269), using an online self-administered survey between June 2017 and July 2018. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyse differences between answers of German and Dutch physicians (n = 177) and German and Dutch nurses (n = 397) on 5-point Likert Items and Scales.

Results

Similarities between DE and NL were a high awareness about the AMR problem and the perception that the possibility to cope with AMR is limited (30% respondents perceive their contribution to limit AMR as insufficient). Especially Dutch nurses scored significantly lower than German nurses on their contribution to limit AMR (means 2.6 vs. 3.1, p ≤ 0.001). German HCW were more optimistic about their potential role in coping with AMR (p ≤ 0.001), and scored higher on feeling sufficiently equipped to perform APM (p ≤ 0.003), although the mean scores did not differ much between German and Dutch respondents.

Conclusions

Although both German and Dutch HCW are aware of the AMR problem, they should be more empowered to contribute to limiting AMR through APM (i.e. screening diagnostics, infection diagnosis, treatment and infection control) in their daily working routines. The observed differences reflect differences in local, national and cross-border structures, and differences in needs of HCW, that need to be considered for safe patient exchange and effective cross-border APM.

Evaluation of Albumin 25% Use in Critically Ill Patients at a Tertiary Care Medical Center

Background: Albumin 25% has been studied and has demonstrated benefit in a limited number of patient populations. The use of albumin 25% is associated with higher costs compared with crystalloid therapy. The aim of this study was to describe the prescribing practices of albumin 25% at a tertiary-care medical center and identify opportunities for restriction criteria related to its use to help generate cost savings. Methods: This evaluation was a retrospective, noninterventional, descriptive study of albumin 25% use between June 2015 and February 2016. Inclusion criteria consisted of patients ≥18 years old and who received at least one dose of albumin 25% while admitted to a Cleveland Clinic main campus intensive care unit (ICU). Inclusion was restricted to 150 randomly selected patients. Results: A total of 539 albumin 25% orders were placed for the 150 included patients. The cardiovascular ICU more frequently prescribed albumin 25% compared with the medical, surgical, neurosciences, and coronary ICUs (51% vs 23% vs 11% vs 9% vs 6%, respectively). Although the cardiovascular surgery ICU most frequently prescribed albumin 25% compared with other ICUs, the medical ICU prescribed a larger total quantity of albumin 25% compared with the cardiovascular, surgical, neurosciences, and coronary ICUs (8705 g vs 7275 g vs 3205 g vs 2162 g vs 625 g, respectively). The majority of patients (61%) did not have an indication listed for albumin 25% use and only 9% of patients were prescribed for indications supported by primary literature. Of the patients prescribed albumin for other indications not supported by primary literature (30%), the most common reasons for albumin 25% were hypotension, acute kidney injury, and volume resuscitation. The median cost per patient of albumin 25% was $417 with a total cost of $122 164 for the cohort. Only 19% of the total cost aligned with dosing regimens evaluated in primary literature. Conclusion: Prescribing patterns of albumin 25% at a tertiary academic medical center do not align with indications supported by primary literature. These findings identified a major opportunity for prescriber education and implementation of restriction criteria to target cost savings.

Antimicrobial stewardship for acute-care hospitals: An Asian perspective

Inappropriate use of antibiotics is contributing to a serious antimicrobial resistance problem in Asian hospitals. Despite resource constraints in the region, all Asian hospitals should implement antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs to optimize antibiotic treatment, improve patient outcomes, and minimize antimicrobial resistance. This document describes a consensus statement from a panel of regional experts to help multidisciplinary AMS teams design programs that suit the needs and resources of their hospitals. In general, AMS teams must decide on appropriate interventions (eg, prospective audit and/or formulary restriction) for their hospital, focusing on the most misused antibiotics and problematic multidrug-resistant organisms. This focus is likely to include carbapenem use with the goal to reduce carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria. Rather than initially trying to introduce a comprehensive, hospital-wide AMS program, it would be practical to begin by pilot testing a simple program based on 1 achievable core intervention for the hospital. AMS team members must work together to determine the most suitable AMS interventions to implement in their hospitals and how best to put them into practice. Continuous monitoring and feedback of outcomes to the AMS teams, hospital administration, and prescribers will enhance sustainability of the AMS programs.

Effect of provider-selected order indications on appropriateness of antimicrobial orders in a pediatric hospital

PURPOSE

The effect of mandatory provider-selected order indications (PSOIs) on appropriateness of antimicrobial ordering in a tertiary pediatric hospital was evaluated.

METHODS

Mandatory PSOIs for 14 antimicrobials were implemented in September 2013. Data on initial and final orders in the first 24 hours after ordering were collected from the electronic medical record. Orders from pre-PSOI and post-PSOI implementation were randomly selected and compared with documentation at the time of order to elicit the documentation-determined clinical indication (DDCI). Appropriateness of the order for the DDCI was evaluated and compared between groups using 2-sample t tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among the total 1,304 orders included in the review, 275 (21.1%) were inappropriate based on DDCI. The indications associated with the greatest number of inappropriate orders in both groups were suspected sepsis/bacteremia, meningitis/central nervous system infection, and pneumonia. A total of 128 (18.3%) of 700 initial orders were inappropriate compared with the DDCI in the pre-PSOI period, and 82 (17.8%) of 461 initial orders were inappropriate in the post-PSOI period (p = 0.83). A total of 78 (11.1%) of 700 final orders were inappropriate in the pre-PSOI period, and 29 (6.3%) of 461 final orders were inappropriate in the post-intervention period (p = 0.01). Overall, 84 (12%) of 700 inappropriate orders reached the patient in the pre-PSOI period versus 43 (9.3%) of 461 inappropriate orders in the post-PSOI period (p = 0.15).

CONCLUSION

PSOIs were effective in reducing inappropriate antimicrobial orders in the first 24 hours after ordering if the correct indication was selected.

A decision support system for antibiotic prescription based on local cumulative antibiograms

BACKGROUND

Local cumulative antibiograms are useful tools with which to select appropriate empiric or directed therapies when treating infectious diseases at a hospital. However, data represented in traditional antibiograms are static, incomplete and not well adapted to decision-making.

METHODS

We propose a decision support method for empiric antibiotic therapy based on the Number Needed to Fail (NNF) measure. NNF indicates the number of patients that would need to be treated with a specific antibiotic for one to be inadequately treated. We define two new measures, Accumulated Efficacy and Weighted Accumulated Efficacy in order to determine the efficacy of an antibiotic. We carried out two experiments: the first during which there was a suspicion of infection and the patient had empiric therapy, and the second by considering patients with confirmed infection and directed therapy. The study was performed with 15,799 cultures with 356,404 susceptibility tests carried out over a four-year period.

RESULTS

The most efficient empiric antibiotics are Linezolid and Vancomycin for blood samples and Imipenem and Meropenem for urine samples. In both experiments, the efficacies of recommended antibiotics are all significantly greater than the efficacies of the antibiotics actually administered (P < 0.001). The highest efficacy is obtained when considering 2 years of antibiogram data and 80% of the cumulated prevalence of microorganisms.

CONCLUSION

This extensive study on real empiric therapies shows that the proposed method is a valuable alternative to traditional antibiograms as regards developing clinical decision support systems for antimicrobial stewardship.

Study protocol for a multicentre, cluster randomised, superiority trial evaluating the impact of computerised decision support, audit and feedback on antibiotic use: the COMPuterized Antibiotic Stewardship Study (COMPASS)

INTRODUCTION

Inappropriate use of antimicrobials in hospitals contributes to antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions aim to improve antimicrobial prescribing, but they are often resource and personnel intensive. Computerised decision supportsystems (CDSSs) seem a promising tool to improve antimicrobial prescribing but have been insufficiently studied in clinical trials.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The COMPuterized Antibiotic Stewardship Study trial, is a publicly funded, open-label, cluster randomised, controlled superiority trial which aims to determine whether a multimodal CDSS intervention integrated in the electronic health record (EHR) reduces overall antibiotic exposure in adult patients hospitalised in wards of two secondary and one tertiary care centre in Switzerland compared with 'standard-of-care' AMS. Twenty-four hospital wards will be randomised 1:1 to either intervention or control, using a 'pair-matching' approach based on baseline antibiotic use, specialty and centre. The intervention will consist of (1) decision support for the choice of antimicrobial treatment and duration of treatment for selected indications (based on indication entry), (2) accountable justification for deviation from the local guidelines (with regard to the choice of molecules and duration), (3) alerts for self-guided re-evaluation of treatment on calendar day 4 of antimicrobial therapy and (4) monthly ward-level feedback of antimicrobial prescribing indicators. The primary outcome will be the difference in overall systemic antibiotic use measured in days of therapy per admission based on administration data recorded in the EHR over the whole intervention period (12 months), taking into account clustering. Secondary outcomes include qualitative and quantitative antimicrobial use indicators, economic outcomes and clinical, microbiological and patient safety indicators.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval was obtained for all participating sites (Comission Cantonale d'Éthique de la Recherche (CCER)2017-00454). The results of the trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Further dissemination activities will be presentations/posters at national and international conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03120975; Pre-results.

Sparing carbapenem usage

Background

Carbapenem resistance in Gram-negative bacteria is increasing in many countries and use of carbapenems and antibiotics to which resistance is linked should be reduced to slow its emergence. There are no directly equivalent antibiotics and the alternatives are less well supported by clinical trials. The few new agents are expensive.

Objectives

To provide guidance on strategies to reduce carbapenem usage.

Methods

A literature review was performed as described in the BSAC/HIS/BIA/IPS Joint Working Party on Multiresistant Gram-negative Infection Report.

Results

Older agents remain active against some of the pathogens, although expectations of broad-spectrum cover for empirical treatment have risen. Education, expert advice on treatment and antimicrobial stewardship can produce significant reductions in use.

Conclusions

More agents may need to be introduced onto the antibiotic formulary of the hospital, despite the poor quality of scientific studies in some cases.

Secondary use of data from hospital electronic prescribing and pharmacy systems to support the quality and safety of antimicrobial use: a systematic review

Background

Electronic prescribing (EP) and electronic hospital pharmacy (EHP) systems are increasingly common. A potential benefit is the extensive data in these systems that could be used to support antimicrobial stewardship, but there is little information on how such data are currently used to support the quality and safety of antimicrobial use.

Objectives

To summarize the literature on secondary use of data (SuD) from EP and EHP systems to support quality and safety of antimicrobial use, to describe any barriers to secondary use and to make recommendations for future work in this field.

Methods

We conducted a systematic search within four databases; we included original research studies that were (1) based on SuD from hospital EP or EHP systems and (2) reported outcomes relating to quality and/or safety of antimicrobial use and/or qualitative findings relating to SuD in this context.

Results

Ninety-four full-text articles were obtained; 14 met our inclusion criteria. Only two described interventions based on SuD; seven described SuD to evaluate other antimicrobial stewardship interventions and five described descriptive or exploratory studies of potential applications of SuD. Types of data used were quantitative antibiotic usage data ( n  =   9 studies), dose administration data ( n  =   4) and user log data from an electronic dashboard ( n  = 1). Barriers included data access, data accuracy and completeness, and complexity when using data from multiple systems or hospital sites.

Conclusions

The literature suggests that SuD from EP and EHP systems is potentially useful to support or evaluate antimicrobial stewardship activities; greater system functionality would help to realize these benefits.

Outcomes of multisite antimicrobial stewardship programme implementation with a shared clinical decision support system

Background

Studies evaluating antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs) supported by computerized clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) have predominantly been conducted in single site metropolitan hospitals.

Objectives

To examine outcomes of multisite ASP implementation supported by a centrally deployed CDSS.

Methods

An interrupted time series study was conducted across five hospitals in New South Wales, Australia, from 2010 to 2014. Outcomes analysed were: effect of the intervention on targeted antimicrobial use, antimicrobial costs and healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile infection (HCA-CDI) rates. Infection-related length of stay (LOS) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were also assessed.

Results

Post-intervention, antimicrobials targeted for increased use rose from 223 to 293 defined daily doses (DDDs)/1000 occupied bed days (OBDs)/month (+32%, P  <   0.01). Conversely, antimicrobials targeted for decreased use fell from 254 to 196 DDDs/1000 OBDs/month (-23%; P  <   0.01). These effects diminished over time. Antimicrobial costs decreased initially (-AUD$64551/month; P  <   0.01), then increased (+AUD$7273/month; P  <   0.01). HCA-CDI rates decreased post-intervention (-0.2 cases/10 000 OBDs/month; P  <   0.01). Proportional LOS reductions for key infections (respiratory from 4.8 to 4.3 days, P  <   0.01; septicaemia 6.8 to 6.1 days, P  <   0.01) were similar to background LOS reductions (2.1 to 1.9 days). Similarly, infection-related SMRs (observed/expected deaths) decreased (respiratory from 1.1 to 0.75; septicaemia 1.25 to 0.8; background rate 1.19 to 0.90.

Conclusions

Implementation of a collaborative multisite ASP supported by a centrally deployed CDSS was associated with changes in targeted antimicrobial use, decreased antimicrobial costs, decreased HCA-CDI rates, and no observable increase in LOS or mortality. Ongoing targeted interventions are suggested to promote sustainability.

Pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics, computer decision support technologies, and antimicrobial stewardship: the compass and rudder

The first guidelines for conducting antimicrobial stewardship in the hospitalized setting were published in 2007. These guidelines recommend that stewardship programs employ the science of pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics (PK-PD) as well as adopting computerized decision support technologies when possible. The United States Food and Drug Administration have adopted PK-PD as a cornerstone in the evaluation of antimicrobial agents during clinical development. The core principles of PK-PD center around describing the relationship between drug exposure indexed to the susceptibility of the infecting bacterial pathogen and patient response. Using such relationships with population pharmacokinetic models and simulation, rational drug and dosing regimens can be selected. But because PK-PD modeling and simulation programs are generally absent in clinical practice, systematic application of this science is missing. Herein we explain advances in technology that allow clinicians to apply PK-PD to optimize the agents and dosing regimens selected for the treatment of hospitalized patients with infection.

TELE-EXPERTISE SYSTEM BASED ON THE USE OF THE ELECTRONIC PATIENT RECORD TO SUPPORT REAL-TIME ANTIMICROBIAL USE

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study are (i) to present the design of a tele-expertise system, based on the telephone and electronic patient record (EPR), which supports the counseling of the infectious diseases specialist (IDS) for appropriate antimicrobial use, in a French University hospital; and (ii) to assess the diffusion of the system, the users' adherence, and their perceived utility.

METHODS

A prospective observational study was conducted to measure (i) the number and patterns of telephone calls for tele-expertise council, the number of initial and secondary assessments from the IDS and multidisciplinary meetings; (ii) the clinicians' adherence rate to therapeutic proposals by the IDS and the number of clinical situations for which the IDS decided to move to bedside; and (iii) the perceived utility of the system by the medical managers of the most demanding departments.

RESULTS

The review of patients' records for 1 year period indicates that 87 percent of the therapeutic recommendations were fully followed. The adherence was high, despite the IDS moving to the bedside only in 6 percent of cases. Medical managers of the most demanding departments considered the system to be useful. Moreover, 6,994 tele-expertise notifications have been recorded into the EPR for 48 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The tele-expertise system is an original way to design information technology supported antimicrobial stewardship intervention based on the remote access to relevant information by the IDS and on the traceability of the medical counseling for the clinicians.

The Expanding Role of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Hospitals in the United States: Lessons Learned from a Multisite Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Misuse of antibiotics can lead to the development of antibiotic resistance, which adversely affects morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and cost. To combat the threat of antimicrobial resistance, The Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have initiated or proposed requirements for hospitals to have antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs), but implementation remains challenging. A key-informant interview study was conducted to describe the characteristics and innovative strategies of leading ASPs.

METHODS

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 program leaders at four ASPs in the United States, chosen by purposive sampling on the basis of national reputation, scholarship, and geography. Questions focused on ASP implementation, program structure, strengths, weaknesses, lessons learned, and future directions. Content analysis was used to identify dominant themes.

RESULTS

Three major themes were identified. The first was evolution of ASPs from a top-down structure to a more diffuse approach involving unit-based pharmacists, multidisciplinary staff, and shared responsibility for antimicrobial prescribing under the ASPs' leadership. The second theme was integration of information technology (IT) systems, which enabled real-time interventions to optimize antimicrobial therapy and patient management. The third was barriers to technology integration, including limited resources for data analysis and poor interoperability between software systems.

CONCLUSION

The study provides valuable insights on program implementation at a sample of leading ASPs across the United States. These ASPs used expansion of personnel to amplify the ASP's impact and integrated IT resources into daily work flow to improve efficiency. These findings can be used to guide implementation at other hospitals and aid in future policy development.

Redesign of computerized decision support to improve antimicrobial prescribing. A controlled before-and-after study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the impact of the introduction of new pre-written orders for antimicrobials in a computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system on 1) accuracy of documented indications for antimicrobials in the CPOE system, 2) appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing, and 3) compliance with the hospital's antimicrobial policy. Prescriber opinions of the new decision support were also explored to determine why the redesign was effective or ineffective in altering prescribing practices.

METHODS

The study comprised two parts: a controlled pre-post study and qualitative interviews. The intervention involved the redesign of pre-written orders for half the antimicrobials so that approved indications were incorporated into pre-written orders. 555 antimicrobials prescribed before (September - October, 2013) and 534 antimicrobials prescribed after (March - April, 2015) the intervention on all general wards of a hospital were audited by study pharmacists. Eleven prescribers participated in semi-structured interviews.

RESULTS

Redesign of computerized decision support did not result in more appropriate or compliant antimicrobial prescribing, nor did it improve accuracy of indication documentation in the CPOE system (Intervention antimicrobials: appropriateness 49% vs. 50%; compliance 44% vs. 42%; accuracy 58% vs. 38%; all p>0.05). Via our interviews with prescribers we identified five main reasons for this, primarily that indications entered into the CPOE system were not monitored or followed-up, and that the antimicrobial approval process did not align well with prescriber workflow.

CONCLUSION

Redesign of pre-written orders to incorporate appropriate indications did not improve antimicrobial prescribing. Workarounds are likely when compliance with hospital policy creates additional work for prescribers or when system usability is poor. Implementation of IT, in the absence of support or follow-up, is unlikely to achieve all anticipated benefits.