Nurses' and Physicians' Responses to a New Active Antimicrobial Stewardship Program: A Two-Phase Study of Responses...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Successful antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) rely on staff acceptance and response.
• A new ASP at Hadassah Medical Center integrated infectious disease physician decisions into the electronic medical record (EMR).
• This study investigated healthcare professionals' perceptions and values regarding the revised ASP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To uncover physicians' and nurses' concerns and expectations regarding a new ASP before and after implementation.
• To link staff perceptions and personal values with their attitudes toward the integrated ASP.
• To assess the impact of integrating infectious disease physician recommendations into the EMR on ASP effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Utilized open-ended questions and Likert-type scales to assess personal values, system perceptions, and attitudes.
• Data collected from 143 staff members before ASP implementation and 103 staff members one year after.
• Correlations and multiple regression analyses examined relationships between perceptions, values, and attitudes.

Main Results:

• Pre-implementation, staff expressed concerns about ASP demandingness, inefficiency, and impact on physician autonomy.
• Positive expectations for hospital, patient, and societal benefits were noted.
• One year post-implementation, concerns diminished, perceived benefits persisted, and conformity values correlated with positive attitudes.

Conclusions:

• Initial staff concerns regarding ASP demandingness and ease of use decreased over time.
• Perceived satisfaction with the ASP was linked to diminished concerns and perceived system straightforwardness.
• Personal values, particularly conformity, indirectly influenced satisfaction through perceptions of the ASP.