Evaluating a virtual facilitation workshop with antimicrobial stewardship teams within a cluster randomized...

Area of Science:

• Implementation Science
• Healthcare Management
• Clinical Pharmacy

Background:

• Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) are crucial for reducing unnecessary antibiotic use in hospitals.
• Facilitation is a recognized implementation strategy to improve adherence to interventions.
• This study evaluated a novel virtual facilitation strategy within the OPERATIC trial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) team preferences for and use of a virtual facilitation workshop.
• To assess the sustained use of facilitation skills by ASP teams throughout a clinical trial.

Main Methods:

• Nine children's hospitals participated, with ASP team members receiving virtual facilitation training.
• Online surveys evaluated participant satisfaction with the training.
• Bi-monthly interviews with site leads assessed the ongoing use of facilitation skills.

Main Results:

• 30 physicians and pharmacists completed the evaluation, with 53% identifying as novice facilitators.
• Participants reported satisfaction with virtual facilitation and found workshop components valuable.
• Interviews confirmed sustained use of facilitation skills, team building, and communication strategies across all nine sites.

Conclusions:

• Virtual facilitation is an acceptable and effective strategy for enhancing ASP teams' skills.
• Clinicians found specific components of the virtual training useful and applied various facilitation skills.
• The study demonstrates the feasibility and acceptability of virtual facilitation for clinicians in ASPs.