Improving antimicrobial stewardship in an Acute Medical Unit (AMU) during patient discharge following introduction of an antimicrobial information card
| Autor: | Hitendra Tanwar, Ahmed Soualhi, Sohail Singh, Preeti Sandhu |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
Quality management Epidemiology Run chart Drug Prescriptions 03 medical and health sciences Antimicrobial Stewardship 0302 clinical medicine Anti-Infective Agents Antimicrobial stewardship Medicine Humans 030212 general & internal medicine Medical prescription 0303 health sciences 030306 microbiology business.industry Health Policy Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Emergency department Patient Discharge Anti-Bacterial Agents Infectious Diseases Emergency medicine Information Card business PDCA Patient education |
| Zdroj: | American journal of infection control. 49(3) |
| ISSN: | 1527-3296 |
| Popis: | Background Patients who initially present to the emergency department are often streamlined to an Acute Medical Unit (AMU). A quality improvement project was developed to introduce a new “Antibiotic Information Card” for patients discharged home from the AMU. Aims were to reduce 30-day readmission and reattendance rates due to the same infection after initial discharge by 75%, as well as improving patient education regarding their antibiotic prescription to 75%. Methods Two Plan Do Study Act cycles were implemented in a busy AMU. Data were collected using electronic discharge software and patient records, as well as individual patient telephone questionnaires. Statistical analysis used run chart analysis. Results Baseline findings showed a variable level of patient knowledge on their antibiotic prescriptions (14%-70%) and fluctuations in 30-day reattendance rates (0%-50%). After the initial introduction of the Antibiotic Information Card, run chart analysis showed a shift in patient knowledge, significantly increasing to over 75%, and special cause variation which was not sustained. Discussion There were no significant changes in 30-day hospital reattendance and readmission rates throughout the intervention; however, there was a significant improvement in patient knowledge of their antibiotic prescription and management. Conclusions Staff engagement is encouraged for sustainability of quality improvement changes to promote antimicrobial stewardship within the AMU. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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