Antimicrobial Stewardship in Long-Term Care: Metrics and Risk Adjustment

An antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) has been recommended for long-term care facilities because of the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance in this setting to improve prescribing and decrease adverse events. Recommendations have been made for the components of such a program, but there is little evidence to support any specific methodology at the present time. The recommendations make minimal reference to metrics, an essential component of any ASP, to monitor the results of interventions. This article focuses on the role of antibiotic use metrics as part of an ASP for long-term care. Studies specifically focused on development of antibiotic use metrics for long-term care are reviewed. It is stressed that these metrics should be considered as an integral part of an ASP in long-term care. In order to develop benchmarks for antibiotic use for long-term care, there must be appropriate risk adjustment for interfacility comparisons and quality improvement. Studies that have focused on resident functional status as a risk factor for infection and antibiotic use are reviewed. Recommendations for the potentially most useful and feasible metrics for long-term care are provided along with recommendations for future research.