Antimicrobial Use/Antimicrobial Stewardship Assessment Tool

Improving patient outcomes and reducing negative events of inappropriate antimicrobial use require strong antimicrobial stewardship programs at healthcare facilities. Antimicrobials include antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitic medications.

To help healthcare facilities construct an antimicrobial stewardship program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship, with facility-tailored guidelines:

• Health departments
• Nursing homes
• Acute care hospitals
• Outpatient facilities
• Resource-limited facilities
• Hospitals
• Small or critical access hospitals
• Outpatient telemedicine

Continuous antimicrobial stewardship program improvement is critical, with some accreditation and regulatory bodies, including the Joint Commission, explicitly requiring stewardship commitment (see Antimicrobial Stewardship standard MM.09.01.01).

The DSHS Healthcare Safety Unit developed the Antimicrobial Stewardship Assessment Tool to assist facilities in meeting these standards. Texas healthcare facilities can use the free, non-regulatory tool to assess their antimicrobial stewardship program, and comply with regulatory organizations and the CDC.