Having a certified infection preventionist on staff is an indicator for how effective a nursing home’s antibiotic stewardship programs is, according to research published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
Columbia University researchers found that nursing homes with a certified infection preventionists (IPs) were nearly five (4.98) times more likely to have comprehensive antibiotic stewardship programs when compared to IPs with no specific training.
They also found that nursing home staff members that participated in Quality Innovation Network — Quality Improvement Organization activities were nearly two (1.98) times more likely to have comprehensive programs.
“This survey shows the importance of certified IPs in ensuring antibiotic stewardship programs are operating that reduce the risk for patients and increase their safety,” study author Mansi Agarwal, PhD, MPH, said.
Researchers analyzed data from 861 nursing homes. About 33% of them were found to have comprehensive antibiotic stewardship programs. About 41% and 25% had moderately comprehensive or non-comprehensive programs, respectively.
