What's New | November 21, 2012

Reducing Inappropriate Antibiotic Use

Inappropriate prescribing leads to increased resistance to and reduced effectiveness of antibiotic medications. Physicians and patients may be unaware of guidelines on the use of antibiotics for viral infections, and patients and parents may not realize that their inappropriate use can be ineffective and can cause harm.

The featured Innovations describe efforts to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, including a health plan that provided regular performance feedback to physicians, a telemedicine-based antimicrobial stewardship program, and an educational program designed to support physicians employing shared decisionmaking with patients.

The featured QualityTools provide information and resources that can help clinicians reduce inappropriate antibiotic use.

Featured Innovations:

• Medicaid Managed Care Plan Provides Reports, Guidelines, and Education Materials to Physicians, Reducing Inappropriate Prescribing of Antibiotics to Children and Adolescents

• Online Tutorial and Interactive Workshop Support Physicians in Employing Shared Decisionmaking With Patients, Reducing Antibiotic Use for Acute Respiratory Infections

• Telemedicine-Based Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Improves Prescribing, Reduces Bacterial Resistance to Antibiotics at Rural Hospital

Featured QualityTools:

• Antimicrobial Stewardship Toolkit
Developed by Greater New York Hospital Association; United Hospital Fund

• Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work
Developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Toolkit for Reduction of Clostridium difficile Infections Through Antimicrobial Stewardship
Developed by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Boston University School of Public Health; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Greater New York Hospital Association; Montefiore Medical Center; United Hospital Fund

Featured Articles:

• Antimicrobial Resistance Still Poses a Public Health Threat: A Conversation With Edward J. Septimus, MD, FIDSA, FACP, FSHEA, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center

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Also in This Issue:

Innovations >

• Remote Interpretation Delivered via Simple and Inexpensive Videoconferencing Technology Generates High Satisfaction Among Patients and Clinicians at Outpatient Clinic

• Statewide Initiative Focuses on Early Diagnosis, Care Team Activation, and Patient Transfer, Leading to More Timely Treatment for Heart Attack Patients

QualityTools >

• Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program Toolkit
Developed by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

• Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care
Developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP)