3 best metrics for assessing antimicrobial stewardship practices

Mackenzie Bean (Twitter) -

Health experts identified new best practices that could help hospitals improve  antimicrobial stewardship programs, according to an article published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.

The article summarizes findings from an expert panel that discussed best practices for antimicrobial stewardship interventions and measurement during a 2018 meeting hosted by The Joint Commission and The Pew Charitable Trusts.

The panel identified two interventions as best practices not detailed in current antimicrobial stewardship guidelines and recommended best practices:

  • Diagnostic stewardship — Addressing diagnostic errors that lead to inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions
  • Handshake stewardship — Engaging frontline clinicians on a regular basis to learn about their perceived barriers to antimicrobial stewardship

The panel also identified three preferred metrics for measuring antimicrobial stewardship efforts:

  • Days of therapy
  • Clostridioides difficile rates
  • Adherence to facility-specific guidelines

To view the full article, click here.

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