Education and Communication in an Interprofessional Antimicrobial Stewardship Program

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Medical Education
• Infectious Disease Management

Background:

• Interprofessional education and practice (IPE/IPP) are crucial for collaborative, patient-centered care.
• Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are essential for optimizing antibiotic use and combating resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement interprofessional ASP teams at two academic medical centers.
• To evaluate the acceptance rate of ASP recommendations by medical and surgical teams.

Main Methods:

• Two interprofessional ASP teams were formed, comprising physicians, residents, medical students, pharmacists, pharmacy residents, and students.
• Educational seminars and prospective audit/feedback processes were utilized.
• Motivational interviewing was employed for face-to-face communication of recommendations.

Main Results:

• An overall recommendation acceptance rate exceeding 90% (2051/2266) was achieved.
• The most common interventions included streamlining therapy, changing drug routes, and addressing bug-drug mismatches.
• Route of administration changes had the highest acceptance rate at 96%.

Conclusions:

• Motivational interviewing and face-to-face communication effectively conveyed ASP recommendations.
• Multidisciplinary team communication in an educational manner significantly increased the acceptance of antimicrobial stewardship interventions.