A study, published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, examined physicians' preferences with regard to receiving feedback on antimicrobial use and how these may be used to improve antibiotic stewardship programs.
Researchers conducted a 20-question survey, polling 211 providers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Researchers found:
• 89 percent of respondents preferred their own institutions determining provider use attribution.
• 64 percent wanted to be compared to other providers within their service. Of those physicians, 69 percent wanted feedback provided on a quarterly basis and 73 percent wanted the feedback provided via email.
• 51 percent of providers anticipated changing practice based on feedback.
"Antimicrobial use feedback is an important component of antibiotic stewardship initiatives that can improve the use of these drugs," said Tara Lines, PharmD, an infectious disease pharmacy resident at VUMC and lead author of the study. "Understanding and anticipating the best way to communicate with providers can help drive change by ensuring providers are reached effectively."