On-Demand Webinar: How to Implement a Surveillance Plan for Antibiotic Stewardship-How to Implement a Surveillance Plan for Antibiotic Stewardship

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This educational webinar focuses on establishing and optimizing infection surveillance programs in long-term care facilities, emphasizing antibiotic stewardship and antibiogram utilization. It begins with an overview of infection surveillance—continuous data collection and analysis to prevent infections—and outlines steps to initiate a program: forming a multidisciplinary team, defining clear objectives, and selecting standardized, reliable data tools. Barriers such as limited resources, resistance to change, technology gaps, and high staff turnover are discussed, alongside strategies like consistent staff training, communication enhancement, and evidence-based interventions.<br /><br />The presentation compares two surveillance criteria sets, McGeer and NHSN, applying them to a urinary tract infection case to demonstrate their use. Data analysis and reporting methods are addressed, emphasizing process and outcome measures to align prevention efforts with infection rates. Integration of infection prevention into Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) programs is encouraged for sustained progress.<br /><br />The second portion covers antibiotic metrics critical to stewardship efforts, focusing on Days of Therapy (DOT) and Defined Daily Dose (DDD). DOT tracks the duration of antibiotic use per patient, providing patient-centered data, while DDD offers standardized consumption comparisons across facilities or regions.<br /><br />The antibiogram is highlighted as a valuable tool showing microorganism susceptibility to antibiotics, aiding in empirical treatment decisions and guiding QAPI initiatives. Practical guidance on creating and interpreting an antibiogram, including data inclusion rules and limitations, is provided, noting its underuse in long-term care.<br /><br />The session concludes with a Q&A addressing topics such as prophylactic antibiotic use, the role of culture in diagnosis, pediatric surveillance criteria, and antibiotic tracking requirements, reinforcing best practices for infection control and stewardship in skilled nursing settings.

Keywords

infection surveillance

long-term care facilities

antibiotic stewardship

antibiogram utilization

McGeer criteria

NHSN criteria

Days of Therapy (DOT)

Defined Daily Dose (DDD)

Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI)

infection prevention

skilled nursing settings