A Model for Improving and Assessing Outpatient Stewardship Initiatives for Acute Respiratory Infections

Authors: Joan Guzik, MBA, Pooja Kothari, RN, MPH, Misha Sharp, MPH, Belinda Ostrowsky, MD, MPH, Gopi Patel, MD 

Many hospitals have established inpatient antibiotic stewardship programs, but outpatient activities remains limited. In 2016, UHF launched a two-stage grant-funded initiative to evaluate outpatient antibiotic stewardship, focusing on adults with acute respiratory infections (ARI). Stage I found few outpatient antibiotic stewardship activities, variation in prescribing, macrolides as the most commonly prescribed antibiotic, and provider interest in improving prescribing.

In Stage II, clinics from seven hospitals and health systems in New York City implemented evidence-based interventions to reduce inappropriate prescribing. The interventions were site-specific and leveraged available resources, workflow, and perception of need. 

This journal article, published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, reports on the review and comparison of pre- and post-intervention visits that were conducted to detect differences in ARI antibiotic prescribing in Stage II of this initiative. 

Note: The file available here for download is the manuscript as submitted to and accepted by Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology; an updated version was published by the journal in July 2019. For the full, final version of this paper, please visit the journal’s website at https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/model-for-improving-and-assessing-outpatient-stewardship-initiatives-for-acute-respiratory-infection/3154716453B27C87BB27A50B89EF2F72/core-reader. Citation: Guzik, J., Kothari, P., Sharp, M., Ostrowsky, B., & Patel, G. (n.d.). A model for improving and assessing outpatient stewardship initiatives for acute respiratory infection. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 1-3. doi:10.1017/ice.2019.206