Antimicrobial stewardship programme implementation in the UAE: perspectives of key stakeholders using Consolidated...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Infectious Disease Control
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Antimicrobial stewardship programme (ASP) implementation research often lacks theoretical grounding, potentially overlooking critical success factors.
• Understanding stakeholder perspectives is crucial for effective ASP implementation in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate stakeholders' views on facilitators and barriers to ASP implementation in United Arab Emirates (UAE) hospitals.
• Focus on identifying key elements influencing the success or failure of ASP initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing semi-structured interviews with diverse ASP stakeholders.
• Grounded in the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) for interview schedule development and analysis.
• Thematic analysis of 31 transcribed interviews conducted with ASP team members and non-members.

Main Results:

• Identified facilitators: external policy mandates, leadership commitment, stakeholder engagement, collaborative environments, clear communication, and strategic planning.
• Identified barriers: blame culture, program complexity, and insufficient expert staffing.
• Multiple CFIR constructs were found to influence ASP implementation outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Stakeholder perspectives reveal numerous facilitators and barriers to ASP implementation.
• Recommendations emphasize early leadership engagement for resource allocation, strategic planning, and robust communication strategies.
• Improving clinical practice through effective ASP requires addressing identified implementation challenges.