Wolters Kluwer Health, a global provider of information for healthcare professionals and students, has announced the release of a complimentary guide designed to help hospitals create comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). The step-by-step eBook, Guidelines for Developing and Enhancing Your Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, defines the pervasive financial and patient care benefits related to ASP implementation, as well as the critical role electronic surveillance technology plays in an effective program.
ASPs address an increasingly critical global concern regarding the rapid growth of multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs). These ‘superbugs’ account for more than 2 million hospitalizations and 23,000 deaths each year in the United States, and their impact is expected to rise exponentially over the next three decades if effective ASPs are not widely adopted. A report commissioned by the British government and published in December projects that deaths caused by drug-resistant pathogens could rise to 317,000 by 2050 in North America alone.
In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommended ASPs for all hospitals. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are expected to require that US acute care, critical care and long-term care hospitals implement antimicrobial stewardship programs by the end of 2017.
The eBook explains the challenges posed by MDROs and how hospitals can take action to slow their progression. Clinical teams will learn about common barriers to implementing ASPs, along with eight elements of a high performing program that impact patient care and the bottom line. The guide also details the role of electronic surveillance and the advantages of leveraging the Sentri7® solution to provide a technical framework for patient care-focused policies, actionable information for members of the ASP team, and the metrics and reporting central to continuous improvement.
