1
|
Kusulja M, Žarković M, Kudoić N, Mudrovčić M, Sovina Stražičić N, Gornik I, Krajinović V. Outpatient treatment of pneumonia in a setting with and without an infectious disease doctor. Croat Med J 2023; 64:45-51. [PMID: 36864818 PMCID: PMC10028564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To compare the outpatient treatment of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) by infectious disease doctors (IDDs) and doctors of other specialties (nIDDs). METHODS We retrospectively identified 600 outpatients with CAP: 300 treated by IDDs and 300 by nIDDs in two tertiary hospitals during 2019. The two groups were compared in terms of adherence to guidelines, antibiotic group prescription, frequency of combined treatment, and treatment duration. RESULTS IDDs prescribed significantly more first-line treatment (P<0.001) and alternative treatment (P=0.008). NIDDs prescribed more reasonable (P<0.001) and unnecessary (P=0.002) second-line treatment, and inadequate treatment (P=0.004). IDDs significantly more frequently prescribed amoxicillin (P<0.001) for typical and doxycycline (P=0.045) for atypical CAP, while nIDDs significantly more frequently prescribed amoxicillin-clavulanate (P<0.001) for typical and fluoroquinolones for both typical (P<0.001) and atypical (P<0.001) CAP. No significant differences were found in the frequency of combined treatment, which exceeded 50% in both groups, or in treatment duration. CONCLUSIONS Outpatient treatment of CAP in the absence of IDDs meant more broad-spectrum antibiotic prescription and more disregard for national guidelines. Our results highlight the need for antibiotic stewardship, especially in settings with no IDDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marija Kusulja
- Marija Kusulja, Dr Fran Mihaljević University Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Mirogojska 8, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia,
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kusulja M, Žarković M, Kudoić N, Mudrovčić M, Sovina Stražičić N, Gornik I, Krajinović V. Outpatient treatment of pneumonia in a setting with and without an infectious disease doctor. Croat Med J 2023. [PMID: 36864818 PMCID: PMC10028564 DOI: 10.3325/cmj.2023.64.45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To compare the outpatient treatment of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) by infectious disease doctors (IDDs) and doctors of other specialties (nIDDs). METHODS We retrospectively identified 600 outpatients with CAP: 300 treated by IDDs and 300 by nIDDs in two tertiary hospitals during 2019. The two groups were compared in terms of adherence to guidelines, antibiotic group prescription, frequency of combined treatment, and treatment duration. RESULTS IDDs prescribed significantly more first-line treatment (P<0.001) and alternative treatment (P=0.008). NIDDs prescribed more reasonable (P<0.001) and unnecessary (P=0.002) second-line treatment, and inadequate treatment (P=0.004). IDDs significantly more frequently prescribed amoxicillin (P<0.001) for typical and doxycycline (P=0.045) for atypical CAP, while nIDDs significantly more frequently prescribed amoxicillin-clavulanate (P<0.001) for typical and fluoroquinolones for both typical (P<0.001) and atypical (P<0.001) CAP. No significant differences were found in the frequency of combined treatment, which exceeded 50% in both groups, or in treatment duration. CONCLUSIONS Outpatient treatment of CAP in the absence of IDDs meant more broad-spectrum antibiotic prescription and more disregard for national guidelines. Our results highlight the need for antibiotic stewardship, especially in settings with no IDDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marija Kusulja
- Marija Kusulja, Dr Fran Mihaljević University Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Mirogojska 8, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia,
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Howley F, Keating D, Kelly M, O’Connor R, O’Riordan R. A Service Evaluation of Adherence with Antimicrobial Guidelines in the Treatment of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Before and During the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak. SN COMPREHENSIVE CLINICAL MEDICINE 2022; 4:225. [PMID: 36258797 PMCID: PMC9559268 DOI: 10.1007/s42399-022-01311-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial stewardship is essential to reducing antimicrobial resistance, reducing costs, and, crucially, ensuring good patient care. Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common medical condition, the symptoms of which show a significant overlap with those of COVID-19. Following the COVID-19 outbreak in Ireland, patients presenting to our hospital with features of a respiratory infection were more commonly reviewed within 24 hours (24h) of admission by an infectious disease (ID) or respiratory specialist. We aimed to assess how the change in service provision, involving frequent specialist reviews of patients admitted with features of CAP during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, affected antimicrobial stewardship and prescribing practices. Patients admitted under general medical teams treated for CAP from March–April 2020 were included. Retrospective data including demographics, CURB-65 score, and antimicrobial therapy were collected, as well as information on whether the patient had undergone specialist review by an ID or respiratory physician. Data were compared to a similar cohort treated for CAP between November 2019 and January 2020, though in this cohort, before the era of COVID-19, none of the patients had undergone specialist review. Seventy-six patients were included from the March–April 2020 cohort, with 77 from November 2019–January 2020 for comparison. An ID or respiratory specialist reviewed 35 patients from the March–April cohort within 24 h of admission. There was a higher rate of appropriate escalation, de-escalation, and continuation of antibiotics among those reviewed. Less than 20% of patients were started on antibiotics in accordance with CAP guidelines on admission, though the antibiotics initiated were frequently deemed appropriate in the clinical setting. Specialist review increases rates of appropriate antimicrobial prescribing and adherence with hospital guidelines in patients with CAP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fergal Howley
- grid.416409.e0000 0004 0617 8280Department of General Internal Medicine, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Donal Keating
- grid.416409.e0000 0004 0617 8280Department of General Internal Medicine, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mary Kelly
- grid.416409.e0000 0004 0617 8280Pharmacy Department, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Roisin O’Connor
- grid.416409.e0000 0004 0617 8280Pharmacy Department, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ruth O’Riordan
- grid.416409.e0000 0004 0617 8280Department of General Internal Medicine, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sefah IA, Essah DO, Kurdi A, Sneddon J, Alalbila TM, Kordorwu H, Godman B. Assessment of adherence to pneumonia guidelines and its determinants in an ambulatory care clinic in Ghana: findings and implications for the future. JAC Antimicrob Resist 2021; 3:dlab080. [PMID: 34223139 PMCID: PMC8210001 DOI: 10.1093/jacamr/dlab080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adherence to local standard guidelines is seen as a pragmatic way to measure and improve the quality of future prescribing in ambulatory care to reduce morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. OBJECTIVES To evaluate adherence to the Ghana Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) for the empirical antibiotic treatment of ambulatory care patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in a region in Ghana and factors associated with it. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a checklist to collect data from the hospital electronic database, which included sociodemographic details, payment type and clinical information of all ambulatory patients attending Keta Municipal Hospital, diagnosed and managed for CAP from September 2018 to January 2019. Prescriptions were assessed for adherence to the Ghana STG based on choice of antibiotics. A χ2 test and multiple logistic regression were subsequently conducted. RESULTS A total of 1929 patient records with diagnosis of CAP within the study period at the ambulatory clinic were identified. The overall rate of adherence to the Ghana STG was 32.50% (n = 627). From the patient records collected, 62.50% were female, 41.84% were children (0-12 years), and 97.15% had a valid national health insurance status. Adherence was associated with the duration of antibiotic prescribing, number of additional antibiotics prescribed and some patients' clinical characteristics. CONCLUSIONS The rate of adherence to Ghana STG among the study population was low. Efforts must be made to train and encourage prescribers to follow empirical guidelines to reduce inappropriate selection of antibiotics in the ambulatory care settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Israel Abebrese Sefah
- Pharmacy Practice Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Volta Region, Ghana
- Pharmacy Department, Keta Municipal Hospital, Ghana Health Service, Keta-Dzelukope, Ghana
| | - Darius Obeng Essah
- Pharmacy Department, Keta Municipal Hospital, Ghana Health Service, Keta-Dzelukope, Ghana
| | - Amanj Kurdi
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq
| | - Jacqueline Sneddon
- Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Delta House, 50 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G12NP, UK
| | - Thelma Mpoku Alalbila
- Pharmacy Department, Keta Municipal Hospital, Ghana Health Service, Keta-Dzelukope, Ghana
| | - Hope Kordorwu
- Nursing Department, Keta Municipal Hospital, Ghana Health Service, Keta-Dzelukope, Ghana
| | - Brian Godman
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
- School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, 0208, South Africa
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
El Fahimi N, Calleja MA, Ratnayake L, Ali I. Audit of a multidisciplinary approach to improve management of community-acquired pneumonia. Eur J Hosp Pharm 2019; 26:223-225. [PMID: 31338173 PMCID: PMC6613927 DOI: 10.1136/ejhpharm-2017-001368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a frequent cause of morbidity, mortality and hospital admission worldwide. An adequate choice of empirical antibiotic treatment and appropriate severity assessment of the disease are key aspects in the management of CAP. OBJECTIVE To audit the adherence to standards of care, such as empirical prescribing of antibiotics, and evaluate the current multidisciplinary approach to the management of CAP. METHOD Records of patients with CAP were identified and examined for CURB65 score documentation, discussion notes with microbiology and prescribed antibiotic treatments. RESULTS Out of the 62 patients identified, 32 had a CURB65 score documented in their medical notes and 59 had documented chest X-ray findings. 85.5% of cases were compliant with antibiotic prescribing guidelines. CONCLUSION The multidisciplinary approach has considerably improved compliance with most of the standards, especially adherence to empirical antibiotic guidelines, and ultimately the standard of care for patients with CAP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nabil El Fahimi
- Department of Pharmacy, James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, UK
| | - Miguel Angel Calleja
- Department of Pharmacy, University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Lasantha Ratnayake
- Department of Microbiology, James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Great Yarmouth, UK
| | - Imran Ali
- James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Great Yarmouth, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sarkies MN, Skinner EH, Bowles KA, Morris ME, Williams C, O'Brien L, Bardoel A, Martin J, Holland AE, Carey L, White J, Haines TP. A novel counterbalanced implementation study design: methodological description and application to implementation research. Implement Sci 2019; 14:45. [PMID: 31046788 PMCID: PMC6498461 DOI: 10.1186/s13012-019-0896-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Implementation research is increasingly being recognised for optimising the outcomes of clinical practice. Frequently, the benefits of new evidence are not implemented due to the difficulties applying traditional research methodologies to implementation settings. Randomised controlled trials are not always practical for the implementation phase of knowledge transfer, as differences between individual and organisational readiness for change combined with small sample sizes can lead to imbalances in factors that impede or facilitate change between intervention and control groups. Within-cluster repeated measure designs could control for variance between intervention and control groups by allowing the same clusters to receive a sequence of conditions. Although in implementation settings, they can contaminate the intervention and control groups after the initial exposure to interventions. We propose the novel application of counterbalanced design to implementation research where repeated measures are employed through crossover, but contamination is averted by counterbalancing different health contexts in which to test the implementation strategy. Methods In a counterbalanced implementation study, the implementation strategy (independent variable) has two or more levels evaluated across an equivalent number of health contexts (e.g. community-acquired pneumonia and nutrition for critically ill patients) using the same outcome (dependent variable). This design limits each cluster to one distinct strategy related to one specific context, and therefore does not overburden any cluster to more than one focussed implementation strategy for a particular outcome, and provides a ready-made control comparison, holding fixed. The different levels of the independent variable can be delivered concurrently because each level uses a different health context within each cluster to avoid the effect of treatment contamination from exposure to the intervention or control condition. Results An example application of the counterbalanced implementation design is presented in a hypothetical study to demonstrate the comparison of ‘video-based’ and ‘written-based’ evidence summary research implementation strategies for changing clinical practice in community-acquired pneumonia and nutrition in critically ill patient health contexts. Conclusion A counterbalanced implementation study design provides a promising model for concurrently investigating the success of research implementation strategies across multiple health context areas such as community-acquired pneumonia and nutrition for critically ill patients. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13012-019-0896-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell N Sarkies
- School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, Building G Peninsula Campus, McMahons Road, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia. .,Allied Health Research Unit, Monash Health, 400 Warrigal Road, Cheltenham, Victoria, 3092, Australia. .,Department of Physiotherapy, Monash Health, 400 Warrigal Road, Cheltenham, Victoria, 3092, Australia.
| | - Elizabeth H Skinner
- Allied Health Research Unit, Monash Health, 400 Warrigal Road, Cheltenham, Victoria, 3092, Australia
| | - Kelly-Ann Bowles
- Department of Community Emergency Health and Paramedic Practice, Monash University, Building H Peninsula Campus, McMahons Road, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia
| | - Meg E Morris
- La Trobe Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine Research, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia.,North Eastern Rehabilitation Centre, Healthscope, Ivanhoe, Victoria, 3079, Australia
| | - Cylie Williams
- Peninsula Health, 4 Hastings Road, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia
| | - Lisa O'Brien
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Monash University, Building G Peninsula Campus, McMahons Road, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia
| | - Anne Bardoel
- Department of Management and Marketing, Swinburne University, BA Buidling John Street, Hawthorn Campus, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122, Australia
| | - Jenny Martin
- Swinburne University, John Street, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122, Australia
| | - Anne E Holland
- Alfred Health and La Trobe University, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia
| | - Leeanne Carey
- Occupational Therapy, School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia.,Neurorehabilitation and Recovery, Melbourne Brain Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 245 Burgundy Street, Heidelberg, Victoria, 3084, Australia
| | - Jennifer White
- School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, Building G Peninsula Campus, McMahons Road, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia
| | - Terry P Haines
- School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, Building G Peninsula Campus, McMahons Road, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Skinner EH, Lloyd M, Janus E, Ong ML, Karahalios A, Haines TP, Kelly AM, Shackell M, Karunajeewa H. The IMPROVE-GAP Trial aiming to improve evidence-based management of community-acquired pneumonia: study protocol for a stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial. Trials 2018; 19:88. [PMID: 29402313 PMCID: PMC5800278 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-017-2407-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Community-acquired pneumonia is a leading worldwide cause of hospital admissions and healthcare resource consumption. The largest proportion of hospitalisations now occurs in older patients, with high rates of multimorbidity and complex care needs. In Australia, this population is usually managed by hospital inpatient general internal medicine units. Adherence to consensus best-practice guidelines is poor. Ensuring evidence-based care and reducing length of stay may improve patient outcomes and reduce organisational costs. This study aims to evaluate an alternative model of care designed to improve adherence to four Level 1 or 2 evidence-supported interventions (routine corticosteroids, early switch to oral antibiotics, early mobilisation and routine malnutrition screening). Methods/Design The IMPROVing Evidence-based treatment Gaps and outcomes in community-Acquired Pneumonia (IMPROVE-GAP) trial is a pragmatic, investigator-initiated, stepped-wedge randomised trial. Patients hospitalised under a general internal medicine unit who meet a standard case definition for community-acquired pneumonia will be included. Eight general internal medicine units at two Australian hospitals in a single health service will be randomised using concealed allocation to: (i) usual medical, nursing and allied health care delivered according to existing organisational practice or (ii) care supported by a dedicated “community-acquired pneumonia service”: a multidisciplinary team deploying algorithm-based implementation of a bundle of the four evidence-based interventions. The primary outcome measure will be length of hospital stay. Secondary outcome measures include inpatient mortality, 30 and 90 day readmission rates and mortality and health-service utilisation costs. Protocol adherence will be measured and reported, and serious adverse events (rates of hyperglycaemia requiring new insulin; falls during mobilisation) will be collected and reported. Discussion IMPROVE-GAP represents an important and unique precedent for testing a new service-delivery model for improving compliance with a number of evidence-based interventions. Its stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial design provides a means to address some significant ethical, organisational and other methodological challenges to evaluating the effectiveness of health-service interventions in complex hospital populations. The new service-delivery model will effectively be fully implemented by trial completion, facilitating rapid, seamless translation into practice should care outcomes be superior. This trial is currently recruiting. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02835040. Prospectively registered on 22 May 2016. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-017-2407-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth H Skinner
- Department of Physiotherapy, Western Health, 160 Gordon St, Footscray, Victoria, 3011, Australia. .,Department of Physiotherapy, Melbourne School of Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia. .,Department of Physiotherapy, School of Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia.
| | - Melanie Lloyd
- Department of Physiotherapy, Western Health, 160 Gordon St, Footscray, Victoria, 3011, Australia
| | - Edward Janus
- General Internal Medicine Unit, Western Health, Sunshine Hospital, St Albans, Victoria, 3021, Australia.,Department of Medicine Melbourne Medical School - Western Precinct, University of Melbourne, Sunshine Hospital, St Albans, Victoria, 3021, Australia
| | - May Lea Ong
- General Internal Medicine Unit, Western Health, Sunshine Hospital, St Albans, Victoria, 3021, Australia
| | - Amalia Karahalios
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Terry P Haines
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia
| | - Anne-Maree Kelly
- Department of Medicine Melbourne Medical School - Western Precinct, University of Melbourne, Sunshine Hospital, St Albans, Victoria, 3021, Australia.,Joseph Epstein Centre for Emergency Medicine Research, Western Health, Sunshine Hospital, St Albans, Victoria, 3021, Australia
| | - Melina Shackell
- Department of Physiotherapy, Western Health, 160 Gordon St, Footscray, Victoria, 3011, Australia.,Department of Physiotherapy, Melbourne School of Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Harin Karunajeewa
- General Internal Medicine Unit, Western Health, Sunshine Hospital, St Albans, Victoria, 3021, Australia.,Department of Medicine Melbourne Medical School - Western Precinct, University of Melbourne, Sunshine Hospital, St Albans, Victoria, 3021, Australia.,The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Sedrak A, Anpalahan M, Luetsch K. Enablers and barriers to the use of antibiotic guidelines in the assessment and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia-A qualitative study of clinicians' perspectives. Int J Clin Pract 2017; 71. [PMID: 28524255 DOI: 10.1111/ijcp.12959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common condition and a number of guidelines have been developed for its assessment and treatment. Adherence to guidelines by clinicians varies and particularly the prescribing of antibiotics often remains suboptimal. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to elucidate potential barriers and enablers to the adherence to antibiotic guidelines by clinicians treating CAP in an Australian hospital. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposively recruited senior prescribers who regularly treat CAP in an Australian hospital. Thematic analysis identified a number of themes and subthemes related to their knowledge, attitudes and behaviours associated with the use of CAP guidelines. RESULTS Thematic saturation was reached after 10 in-depth interviews. Although similar barriers to the use of guidelines as previously described in the literature were confirmed, a number of novel, potential enablers were drawn from the interviews. Clinicians' acceptance and accessibility of guidelines emerged as enabling factors. Generally positive attitudes towards antimicrobial stewardship services invite leveraging what was described as the relationship-based and hierarchical nature of medical practice to provide personalised feedback and updates to clinicians. CONCLUSIONS Adding a social and personalised approach of antimicrobial stewardship to policy- and systems-based strategies may lead to incremental improvements in guideline adherent practice when assessing and treating CAP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Sedrak
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
- Eastern Health, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mahesan Anpalahan
- Eastern Health, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia
- Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- North West Academic Centre, The University of Melbourne, St Albans, Victoria, Australia
| | - Karen Luetsch
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|