Delayed Prescribing: Promoting antibiotic stewardship in an urgent care setting.

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    Committee member: White, Thomas
    Committee member: Kraeling, Kelli
    Degree granting institution: Clarion University of Pennsylvania
    Degree granting institution: Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
    Department: Nursing
    Date Created
    2021
    Date Issued
    2021
    Abstract
    Background: According to the Centers for Disease Control, (CDC, 2018) at least thirty percent of outpatient antibiotics are unnecessary. A retrospective 2018 study by Incze, M.A., Redberg, R.F. and Katz, M. found forty nine percent of antibiotic prescriptions in the urgent care setting were for inappropriate diagnosis. The aim of this study was to educate providers on one method of reducing antibiotic prescriptions and incorporate new patient instructions into the electronic health record. Participants included physicians associates and nurse practitioners.
    Methods: The Quality improvement approach of Plan Do Study Act was utilized for this project. A literature review was completed to study methods of antibiotic stewardship. The electronic health record system was queried for delayed prescribing discharge instructions. Informal discussions among providers revealed absence of a cohesive approach to reducing unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics.

    Interventions: A PowerPoint was emailed to all providers on the use of delayed prescribing for antibiotics along with a Likert-Scale survey on provider perceptions of implementation. New instructions for patients on delayed prescribing of antibiotics was added to the existing electronic health record system. For a period of 30 days the number of times delayed prescribing instructions sheets were printed for patients was monitored along with the number of patients seen at each location. The provider survey was also reviewed.

    Results: Provider survey demonstrated favorable attitudes toward antibiotic stewardship. The delayed prescribing instruction set was utilized twenty-seven times over the thirty-day period. There were 2,579 patient encounters during the study for a 0.9% utilization rate.

    Conclusions: This was a new process in the clinic where the study was completed and though the utilization was low there was favorable consensus among providers on the value of antibiotic stewardship. There are many opportunities going forward including tracking diagnosis codes along with antibiotic prescriptions and following up to determine how many delayed prescriptions were filled. This research can provide a starting point for any outpatient facility looking to decrease rates of antibiotic prescribing.
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    25 pages
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    Farbotnik, E. (2021). Delayed prescribing: Promoting antibiotic stewardship in an urgent care setting. Edinboro and Clarion Universities of Pennsylvania. Accessed from Pennsylvania Western University Archives.
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