Safer use of antimicrobials in hospitals: the value of antimicrobial usage data.
The National Antimicrobial Utilisation Surveillance Program (NAUSP) collects aggregate data from hospitals in all Australian states and provides reports of monthly hospital inpatient antimicrobial usage to contributing hospitals. These data provide an Australian peer-group benchmark; hospitals can compare their usage with similar hospitals and identify areas of antimicrobial use that require more in-depth analysis. Overall high usage has been used by hospitals and area health services as a stimulus for initiation or expansion of antimicrobial stewardship programs. High use of particular classes of antimicrobials has triggered individual drug audits and been used to tailor interventions. Longitudinal antimicrobial usage data have been used by hospitals to measure the effects of antimicrobial stewardship strategies and provide feedback to prescribers.
McNeil
Vicki
V
Antimicrobial Utilisation Surveillance Programs, Infection Control Service, Communicable Disease Control Branch, SA Health, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Vicki.McNeil@health.sa.gov.au
Cruickshank
Marilyn
M
Duguid
Margaret
M
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001315:Australia; D019985:Benchmarking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D020000:Decision Support Systems, Clinical / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008499:Medical Records; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D017751:Safety Management / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents