ABSTRACT
Growing demands and limited guidance on efficient use of resources to advance stewardship initiatives challenge antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP). METHODS: The primary aim was to incorporate a Lean Readiness and Metrics Board (RMB) into ASP and assess team member accountability and satisfaction with weekly 15-minute huddle participation within 1 year of implementation. ASP team survey data were analyzed for comments regarding Lean integration, team communication, and productivity. The second aim was to develop 5 shared metrics associated with quality, people, delivery, safety, and stewardship and evaluate ASP team productivity by assessing the impact of projects targeted at each specific metric. Pharmacist-physician ASP scheduling conflicts were addressed through identified rounding times under the "People" metric. The "Quality" metric assessed ASP intervention disagreement rate and collaborations that occurred to reduce disagreement. ASP tracked the number of individuals educated by ASP monthly through the "Delivery" metric. RESULTS: Since August 2018, ASP replaced hour-long monthly meetings with weekly huddles at the RMB. On average, 14 members (88%) of the ASP participate weekly. Team members report improvement in communication and satisfaction with Lean integration. Metric utilization enhanced productivity. For the metrics under "People," "Quality," and "Delivery," reduced scheduling conflicts occurred, the ASP intervention disagreement rate decreased (37.0%-25.6%; P < 0.001), and the ASP educated an average of 79 learners per month. CONCLUSIONS: Weekly huddles at the RMB enhanced communication and team accountability while visually displaying program needs, progress, and achievements. The RMB helps to ensure ongoing institutional commitment, and Lean methods show promise for evaluating and improving ASP productivity.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The number of pediatric antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) is increasing and program evaluation is a key component to improve efficiency and enhance stewardship strategies. OBJECTIVE: To determine the antimicrobials and diagnoses most strongly associated with a recommendation provided by a well-established pediatric ASP. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective cohort study from March 3, 2008, to March 2, 2013, of all ASP reviews performed at a free-standing pediatric hospital. METHODS: ASP recommendations were classified as follows: stop therapy, modify therapy, optimize therapy, or consult infectious diseases. A multinomial distribution model to determine the probability of each ASP recommendation category was performed on the basis of the specific antimicrobial agent or disease category. A logistic model was used to determine the odds of recommendation disagreement by the prescribing clinician. RESULTS: The ASP made 2,317 recommendations: stop therapy (45%), modify therapy (26%), optimize therapy (19%), or consult infectious diseases (10%). Third-generation cephalosporins (0.20) were the antimicrobials with the highest predictive probability of an ASP recommendation whereas linezolid (0.05) had the lowest probability. Community-acquired pneumonia (0.26) was the diagnosis with the highest predictive probability of an ASP recommendation whereas fever/neutropenia (0.04) had the lowest probability. Disagreement with ASP recommendations by the prescribing clinician occurred 22% of the time, most commonly involving community-acquired pneumonia and ear/nose/throat infections. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of our pediatric ASP identified specific clinical diagnoses and antimicrobials associated with an increased likelihood of an ASP recommendation. Focused interventions targeting these high-yield areas may result in increased program efficiency and efficacy.
