Antibiotic Stewardship (ABS)
The management of infections in hospitals is an ongoing challenge. In addition to a general increase in complex infections - caused by the increasing morbidity and age of inpatients over the years - the legislator has imposed extensive obligations on hospital management in the areas of hygiene and ABS with the Infection Protection Act 2011 (IfSG 2011). In addition, cases of infection in hospitals are readily portrayed in the lay press in a way that attracts public attention and scandalizes the public. In these situations in particular, the impression is often created - often unfortunately correct - that mistakes have been made in infection management by the hospital in question.
Antibiotic stewardship (ABS) refers to the sum of all measures in an organization to implement structures and processes for the rational use of antimicrobial substances. The goal is to avoid unnecessary development of resistance and, of course - first and foremost - to provide correct therapy for patients with infections.
We support you in your individual implementation of antibiotic stewardship.
01ABS Quickcheck
Our ABS QuickCheck module is the ideal kickoff for your in-house ABS. You determine your current ACTUAL state and define the fields of action for the next year.
The ABS QuickCheck is divided into 4 phases.
After one year, the data is compared by means of another ABS QuickCheck. The previously defined measures are reviewed for their impact and new fields of action are defined.
02ABS Training
Take action yourself and build up ABS experts in your own ranks!
The amendments to the IfSG make the establishment of antimicrobial stewardship teams (ABS teams) mandatory. Benefit from our ABS in-house program.
In 4 modules, your employees will be made fit for the topic of ABS and complete the course as ABS experts.
Your advantage: ABS courses are state-subsidized. ABS in-house training courses are economically attractive from a minimum of 20 participants.
Benefit from our training courses:
Modern concept with renowned nationally and internationally recognized experts
Curriculum based on ABS courses of the DGI à possibly eligible for funding according to §4 Abs. 11 KHEntgG
Training-on-the-job with peer reviews of your cases, visit support as well as identification and implementation of concrete measures for your institution
Accompaniment of a complete - legally required - quality management cycle and handover to your own experts
Ensuring success and sustainability through coaching and reviews along the self-set goals
03ABS Tools
With our ABS Tools we provide you with typical tools for the implementation, standardization and progress analysis of ABS measures.
Peer Review
The analysis of cases together with internal and external colleagues at "eye level", i.e. in the group of "peers", represents a method of joint learning that has been established for many decades - especially in the Anglo-Saxon language area.
If the quality of prescribing in certain disease entities - such as pneumonia, infections with clostridia or sepsis - is to be reviewed, it makes sense to process a larger number of medical records in a structured manner.
The important information, such as "Infection detected in time?", "Antibiotic therapy correct?" are collected and evaluated.
For example, IMR can be used to select cases for peer review.
By using the peer review tool, the data is immediately collected electronically and automatically evaluated in no time at all. Thus, when the last case is completed, the results are directly available.
If surveys are repeated, the results can be compared over several years.
Point prevalence analyses (PPA)
The ongoing monitoring of certain parameters of antibiotic therapy is an indispensable part of quality management within the framework of ABS programs in hospitals.
Point prevalence analysis has established itself here as a fast and easily repeatable method.
Our electronic recording tool contains all the data fields required to calculate the indicators standardized throughout Europe (ECDC). As part of the triennial European Survey of Antibiotic Consumption (ESAC), standardized indicators such as "Antibiotic administration according to guidelines?" or "Prophylaxis too long?" were defined and mapped 1:1 in our PPA tool.
As with the peer review, the results are evaluated directly at the end of the survey - which usually takes place on one day on all wards of a hospital - and read into the IMR QlikView cube.
If several PPAs are documented over time, they can of course also be compared, e.g. to check progress in relevant indicators.
Have we piqued your interest?