Survey by The Advisory Board Company finds the number of ASP programs increasing rapidly, but many institutions continue to face staffing and resourcing challenges
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- New survey data announced today by The Advisory Board Company highlight how hospitals and health systems have made headway in establishing antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) despite resource limitations and a lack of frontline physician involvement. Within the past five years, 70% of respondents added an ASP – and 35% started programs within the past two years.
Hospitals with fewer than 300 beds, while still less likely to have ASPs, are also adding programs at a substantial pace. Among these smaller institutions, 80% added an ASP within the past five years – and 45% started programs within the past two years.
ASPs are coordinated programs through which hospitals work to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that hospitals implement ASPs to combat the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which infect an estimated two million people each year. Yet resource limitations – including staff and technology shortages – can hamper ASP implementation, especially at smaller facilities.
"Hospitals seem to be doing the best they can with the resources they have," said Sarah O'Hara, Senior Consultant, Research and Insights at The Advisory Board Company. "While there are many interventions that hospitals can use to curb improper antibiotic use, there is no one-size-fits-all model. And the uptick in stewardship shows that hospitals are starting to recognize the need to combat bacterial resistance and deploying efforts that fit their different resources levels, cultures, and clinical needs."
Still, nearly 20% of respondents have no formal program to reduce antibiotic overuse or misuse. Challenges are more pronounced at smaller hospitals: 26% of hospitals with fewer than 300 beds do not have a formal ASP, compared to just 11% of hospitals with more than 300 beds that report not having a formal ASP in place.
Survey Shows Opportunities with Resources and Data
In addition, many hospitals that report having launched ASPs still face resource limitations that hamper a comprehensive approach to stewardship, especially among smaller institutions. For example, respondents cited a lack of:
Many hospitals also seem hesitant to involve frontline providers in stewardship. While many are working on clinical guidelines, only a minority of hospitals are asking providers to take "time-outs" to review antibiotics post-prescription, creating protocols for antimicrobial documentation, or providing one-on-one feedback to providers about their prescribing decisions.
Of the institutions that have formal ASPs, nearly two thirds (65%) do not require prescribing providers or treatment teams to formally review the prescription after diagnostic information becomes available. Rather, hospitals seem to defer to experts outside the treating team – such as pharmacists – to review antibiotic appropriateness and provide recommendations to the prescriber, with 68% reporting they use this strategy.
Additionally, more than 60% of respondents do not record antibiotic utilization by provider, which could provide for more targeted education and training.
Experts Advise Proactive Approach to Stewardship
"The reluctance to involve frontline physicians may be less about resource limitations than about hospital culture and concerns about asking too much of providers," O'Hara said. "But it also means that hospitals are missing an opportunity because the best way to improve antibiotic stewardship is to strengthen prescribing patterns from the beginning, rather than catching problems after the fact."
Eve Humphreys, MBA, CAE, Executive Director at the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America saw signs of both progress and challenges in the survey data. "While it is promising that many institutions are establishing antibiotic stewardship programs, we need health care professionals to make these efforts a priority to ensure interventions are effective. Antibiotic resistance is a public health issue that requires involvement and coordinated action by all health care workers to improve care and save lives. The survey highlights evidence-based strategies many institutions are using to curb antibiotic overuse and misuse and the barriers they must overcome to continue to stem inappropriate use and fight antibiotic resistance on the frontlines of health care."
The Advisory Board Company announced the survey results at its technology summit, Amplify™. At the October 28 and 29 event, more than 1,000 hospital and health system administrators are exploring how technology is driving advances in health care in such areas as consumer engagement, population health, interoperability, and payment transformation.
About the Survey
The Advisory Board Company surveyed 418 hospitals and health systems in fall 2015. The Advisory Board Company also conducted in-depth interviews with 10 hospitals to learn how hospitals and health systems with more limited resources are implementing ASPs.
About The Advisory Board Company
The Advisory Board Company is the leading provider of insight-driven technology, research, and services for organizations in transforming industries. Through its innovative membership model, the Company collaborates with more than 230,000 leaders at 5,200 member organizations to elevate performance and solve their most pressing problems. The Company provides strategic guidance, actionable insights, cloud-based software solutions, and comprehensive implementation and management services. For more information, visit www.advisory.com.
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SOURCE The Advisory Board Company
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