Sep 25 / Lyndon Forrest

Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Checklist For Aged Care

In today's healthcare environment, nursing homes increasingly recognise the urgent need for comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship programs. With drug-resistant germs on the rise, nursing homes play a key role in keeping antibiotics effective for the future. An antimicrobial stewardship program ensures proper antibiotic use in nursing homes, enhancing resident care and reducing misuse risks.

The Rising Importance of Antimicrobial Stewardship in Nursing Homes

Antimicrobial stewardship has become a pivotal element of healthcare management in nursing homes, where residents are particularly vulnerable to infections. With a high prevalence of multiple health issues, frequent infections, and hospital admissions, these residents face significant risks from antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Stewardship programs aim to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use. They also help lower harmful drug reactions and limit the spread of resistant germs. These programs are not just a rule to follow; they are vital for saving lives.

Understanding Antimicrobial Stewardship

What Is Antimicrobial Stewardship?

Antimicrobial stewardship includes several strategies to use antibiotics wisely. The goal is to treat bacterial infections while reducing harm from misuse. This means selecting the right antibiotic. It also involves using the correct dose for the right amount of time.

Use antibiotics only when truly needed. This practice keeps them effective and stops bacteria from developing resistance.

Why Nursing Homes Need an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program

Nursing homes have special groups of patients. They face unique challenges in controlling infections. Many residents have weak immune systems. This makes them more likely to get infections and feel bad from antibiotics.

A strong program for managing antibiotics helps nursing homes use them correctly. This keeps residents safer from the dangers of antibiotic misuse. It also reduces healthcare costs. Additionally, it helps fight against antibiotic resistance in the community.

Core Components of an Effective Program

Key Elements of a Successful Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Checklist

A good Antimicrobial Stewardship Program needs support from all the facility members, ongoing training, tracking use, and feedback methods. Together, these parts build a culture of careful antibiotic use and help improve care over time.

Who Drives the Success of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program?

A stewardship program must involve a collaborative team to be effective. This team should include physicians, nurses, pharmacists, infection control specialists, and administrative leaders.

Every team member plays an important role in the program. This includes prescribing antibiotics properly and teaching staff, residents, and families about best practices.

Creating the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Checklist

Assessing Your Current Practices

Start by evaluating your current practices for antibiotics prescribing and infection control. This assessment will help identify areas that need improvement, providing a foundation for building your stewardship program.

Clear, Achievable Goals for Improvement Setting

Define specific and measurable goals that will guide your stewardship efforts. Focus on reducing unnecessary antibiotic use, improving prescribing accuracy, and boosting infection prevention protocols.

Checklist Item 1: Leadership Commitment

Strong leadership is critical for the overall success of stewardship programs. Management and frontline staff must work together to promote and support the program. Encourage leaders to act as "champions" for stewardship and provide enough resources for the program.

Stewardship requires dedicated resources—time, staff, and financial investment. Ensure your facility is ready to support and maintain the antimicrobial stewardship program long-term. You can do so by having ongoing training and using new technologies.

Checklist Item 2: Accountability and Collaborative Teams

Appoint a dedicated leader to manage the stewardship program. The Leader should have the power and knowledge to implement the stewardship program by teaching the staff and make sure everyone follows the rules. Develop a cross-functional team to support the stewardship leader. Include individuals from various departments who are committed to improving antibiotic use, such as infection control nurses, pharmacists, and medical staff/General practitioners.

Checklist Item 3: Policy Development and Standardisation

Develop evidence-based policies for antibiotic prescribing. These policies should set rules for diagnosing infections, picking the right antibiotics, and determining treatment length. 

Create clear guidelines for handling common infections like urinary tract infections and lung infections, which often happen in nursing homes. Ensure these protocols align with best practices and current guidelines.  

Checklist Item 4: Education and Training for Staff

Implement ongoing education programs for all staff involved in the prescribing and directing of antibiotics. Focus on best practices, bacterial resistance patterns, and the dangers of antibiotic misuse.

For comprehensive training resources, consider enrolling in the IPS Hub. Your team can try it for 7 days of free access to educational materials and learn more about antimicrobial stewardship. Access Here

Equip staff with the knowledge to make informed decisions about antibiotic use. Encourage open communication and continuous learning to cultivate a culture of stewardship.

Checklist Item 4: Education and Training for Staff

Implement ongoing education programs for all staff involved in the prescribing and directing of antibiotics. Focus on best practices, bacterial resistance patterns, and the dangers of antibiotic misuse.

For comprehensive training resources, consider enrolling in the IPS Hub. Your team can try it for 7 days of free access to educational materials and learn more about antimicrobial stewardship. Access Here

Equip staff with the knowledge to make informed decisions about antibiotic use. Encourage open communication and continuous learning to cultivate a culture of stewardship.

Checklist Item 5: Tracking and Monitoring Antibiotic Use

Establish a reliable system for tracking antibiotic use across the facility. Gather patient data on prescriptions, reasons for use, and outcomes to spot trends and find areas for improvement.

Review the data collected regularly to identify trends in antibiotic prescribing and usage. Use this to analyze and target any interventions and refine your stewardship strategies.

Checklist Item 6: Regular Review and Feedback

Perform regular audits to assess compliance with antibiotic prescribing guidelines and protocols. Use audit results to focus on areas for improvement and provide feedback to prescribers. Give constructive feedback to prescribers based on the audit findings. Highlight successes, address areas of concern, and reinforce best practices to promote improvement.

Checklist Item 7: Infection Prevention and Control

Combine stewardship efforts with effective infection control practices. Ongoing training for hygiene protocols, environmental cleaning, and isolation procedures is highly recommended to prevent the spread of infections. Promote the importance of hand hygiene and routine environmental cleaning. These basic infection control measures are vital for reducing the need for antibiotics.

Checklist Item 8: Patient and Family Engagement

Tell residents and their families about the dangers of misusing antibiotics and the importance of using them wisely. Clear communication helps manage expectations and reduces the pressure put on providers to prescribe antibiotics without reason. Cultivate a culture where everyone—staff, residents, and their families—understands their role in stewardship. Encourage awareness and adherence to stewardship principles at any level of care.

Checklist Item 9: Optimising Antibiotic Prescribing

Prescribe antibiotics based on the specific infection, considering local resistance patterns and the patient's needs. Establish protocols for scaling down or stopping antibiotics based on clinical progress and test results. Limit the duration of therapy to the shortest effective period.

Checklist Item 10: Leveraging Technology for Stewardship

Utilise electronic health records (EHRs) to monitor antibiotic prescriptions and usage trends. EHRs provide valuable data for audits and feedback processes. Utilise other decision support tools such as Electronic Medication Management systems to help prescribers choose appropriate antibiotics, dosing, and duration. These tools can enhance compliance with stewardship guidelines.

Addressing Challenges in Implementing the Checklist

Recognise and address common obstacles, such as staff resistance, limited resources and diagnostic tools, and the lack of awareness. Adapt interventions to your facility’s specific needs and circumstances. Use innovative strategies to operate within resource constraints. Consider partnerships with external organisations, online medical services, and technology to support your program.

The Role of External Partnerships and Support

Work with local health departments, academic institutions, and other healthcare providers. These collaborations can provide essential resources, expertise, and support. Leverage resources from national organisations like the CDC that offer guidelines, toolkits, and educational materials to support antimicrobial stewardship.

Adapting to New Trends and Emerging Threats

Keep informed about local and global resistance patterns. Regular updates help your facility adapt to current threats and emerging pathogens in the community. Prepare to modify your program in response to new guidelines, regulations, and standards. Flexibility and resourcefulness are key to maintaining an effective program.

Long-Term Success of the Stewardship Program

Maintain enthusiasm and commitment by celebrating successes, providing continuing education, and encouraging feedback. Reinforce the importance of stewardship at all levels of staff. Regularly review and update your checklist to ensure it remains relevant and practical. Use feedback and data to refine and enhance your program constantly.

The Impact of Effective Stewardship Programs

Effective stewardship in nursing homes contributes to reducing antimicrobial resistance, benefiting not just individual facilities but the community at large. A good stewardship program improves care by ensuring proper antibiotic use, reducing infections, and promoting better health outcomes.

Conclusion

Now is the time for nursing homes to take decisive action by implementing a robust antimicrobial stewardship program. This checklist provides a clear roadmap for achieving better health outcomes and safeguarding antibiotics for the future.

Next Steps for Your Nursing Home

Start implementing the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Checklist to improve care quality and patient safety in your nursing home. Consider using resources such as the IPS Hub to access valuable training materials and support tools for your team. Gain instant access with a 7-day free trial by clicking here to sign up.

Pages

Policy

Social





Copyright © 2024