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- Title
Is the “Low-Hanging Fruit” Worth Picking for Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs?
- Authors
Goff, Debra A.; Bauer, Karri A.; Reed, Erica E.; Stevenson, Kurt B.; Taylor, Jeremy J.; West, Jessica E.
- Abstract
Antimicrobial stewardship programs that target “low-hanging fruit,” which include intravenous-to-oral switch, batching of intravenous antimicrobials, therapeutic substitution, and formulary restriction, can have early success and achieve significant cost savings. We observed cost savings of $832 590 with a staged and systematic approach.A new antimicrobial stewardship program can be overwhelmed at the breadth of interventions and education required to conduct a successful program. The expression “low-hanging fruit,” in reference to stewardship, refers to selecting the most obtainable targets rather than confronting more complicated management issues. These targets include intravenous-to-oral conversions, batching of intravenous antimicrobials, therapeutic substitutions, and formulary restriction. These strategies require fewer resources and less effort than other stewardship activities; however, they are applicable to a variety of healthcare settings, including limited-resource hospitals, and have demonstrated significant financial savings. Our stewardship program found that staged and systematic interventions that focus on obvious areas of need, that is, low hanging fruit, provided early successes in our expanded program with a substantial cumulative cost savings of $832 590.
- Subjects
ANTI-infective agents; INTRAVENOUS injections; MEDICAL care; STUDY &; teaching of medicine; EDUCATION costs; EDUCATIONAL programs
- Publication
Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2012, Vol 55, Issue 4, p587
- ISSN
1058-4838
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/cid/cis494