This booklet is therefore an invaluable resource for healthcare professionals and policy makers aiming to develop and implement effective Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) in their institutions.
The guide is structured around three fundamental building blocks essential for any ASP:
- Prerequisites: These are the foundational elements necessary for the program’s success, including the establishment of an AMS team, access to data, and policy frameworks.
- The “What”: This section focuses on appropriate antibiotic use practices, detailing specific objectives and guidelines for healthcare professionals.
- The “How”: Here, the guide outlines various improvement strategies to ensure the effective implementation of ASPs, emphasizing behaviour change and continuous improvement.
By focusing on these components, hospitals can create a sustainable cycle of measurement and improvement.
Practical guidance tailored for every setting
Acknowledging the diversity of healthcare environments, the guide provides insights adaptable to both high-income and resource-limited settings. It highlights the importance of local context, offering tools to assess current practices, set realistic goals, and leverage available resources effectively.
Behaviour change and measuring impact
At its core, antimicrobial stewardship is about influencing human behaviour. The guide emphasizes the role of behavioural sciences in developing interventions that resonate with healthcare professionals, ensuring lasting change in antibiotic use practices. Another key component of the guide is its emphasis on measurement. By collecting and analyzing data on antibiotic use and resistance patterns, hospitals can identify areas for improvement and track the impact of their ASPs. drive-AMS uses the Global Point Prevalence Survey (Global-PPS) as a cornerstone of its AMS efforts as this tool enables hospitals to benchmark antibiotic prescribing practices and monitor the impact of stewardship interventions over time.
Call to Action
The guide is more than just a manual, it’s a call to action. By following the step-by-step approach outlined in the booklet, hospitals can play a crucial role in combating AMR, safeguarding the efficacy of antibiotics for future generations, and improving patient care. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, a policy maker, or a hospital administrator, this guide is an essential tool in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
Dive into the guide and join the global effort to make a difference in antimicrobial stewardship. The pdf brochure is available free of charge here.
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