Improving antibiotic prescribing and use is critical to effectively treat infections, protect patients from harms caused by unnecessary antibiotic use and combat antibiotic resistance.The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use is recruiting pediatric and adult ambulatory clinics to participate in a free, 12-month program that seeks to improve antibiotic prescribing.
This program, which is scheduled to begin in December 2019, will combine evidence-based guidance with strategies to address the attitudes, beliefs and culture that often pose challenges to improving antibiotic prescribing. This program will help clinicians protect patients from exposure to unneeded antibiotics and associated side effects, including rashes and Clostridioides difficile infections.
Participation Benefits
AHRQ has announced that participation in this program will help clinics meet the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) requirements and can demonstrate compliance with the new Joint Commission Ambulatory Antimicrobial Stewardship Standard. Continuing education credits including Maintenance of Certification (MOC) for ABIM, ABP, and ABFM will be offered at no charge for participants.
Additional benefits include:
- Reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and increase appropriate antibiotic use
- Improve patient safety and safety culture
- Enhance teamwork and communication around diagnosis and treatment of infections and antibiotic prescribing in your practice
- Maintain and improve patient and family satisfaction
- Improve workflow, especially during the busy cold and flu season
What data will be requested?
- Monthly data on number of patient visits, antibiotic prescriptions administered by antibiotic type, patients with respiratory infections, patients diagnosed with a respiratory condition and prescribed antibiotics (certain ICD-10 codes)
- Completion of a surveys regarding practice infrastructure, antibiotic stewardship activities, and patient safety issues
Eligible Clinics
Clinics that care for children and/or adults and are:
- Primary care clinics
- Urgent care clinics
- Student health clinics
- Community-based health clinics (e.g. Federally Qualified Health Centers or FQHCs)
- Outpatient specialty clinics that provide primary care (e.g., OB/GYN)
Informational Webinars Available
Attend one of the following webinars to learn more about the program:
October 15, 10 a.m. CT | Click here to register
October 30, 12 noon CT | Click here to register
November 5, 1:00 p.m. CT | Click here to register
November 14, 1:00 p.m. CT | Click here to register
For more information, visit https://safetyprogram4antibioticstewardship.org/ or email antibioticsafety@norc.org.