[Comprehensive quality indicators for measuring hospital antibiotic use]

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Context:

• Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global threat, significantly impacting the Netherlands.
• High antibiotic consumption is the primary driver of antimicrobial resistance.
• Existing guidelines for appropriate antimicrobial therapy are underutilized in clinical practice.

Purpose:

• To address the lack of comprehensive quality indicators for assessing hospital antibiotic use across all bacterial infections.
• To develop reliable, generic quality indicators for optimizing antibiotic utilization in hospital settings.
• To support the RIANT study (Reliable generic quality Indicators for the optimalisation of ANTibiotic use in the hospital).

Summary:

• The Netherlands faces increasing antimicrobial resistance, linked to overall antibiotic consumption.
• There's a critical need for better utilization of existing antimicrobial agents due to a decline in new drug discovery.
• Previously developed quality indicators focused on respiratory and urinary tract infections; a broader set is needed for all hospital-acquired bacterial infections.

Impact:

• The development of a comprehensive set of quality indicators will enable better assessment and improvement of antibiotic treatment quality in hospitals.
• Effective implementation of these indicators can lead to more judicious antibiotic use, mitigating resistance.
• This initiative aims to enhance patient care and public health outcomes by optimizing hospital antibiotic stewardship programs.