Midtveisevaluering - Brita Skodvin

Abstrakt

Prudent use of antibiotics and microbiology testing in hospitals

Increasing antimicrobial resistance rates worldwide represent a major threat to public health.

The steadily rising consumption and inappropriate use of antimicrobials is an important

contributor to the emergence of resistance. To address this problem, initiatives are taken

worldwide to promote more prudent antimicrobial use. In Norway, the government has

launched an action plan for health care, introducing mandatory antimicrobial stewardship

programs in all hospitals. These programs consist of evidence-based interventions aimed at

optimizing antimicrobial therapy. This PhD aims to obtain knowledge on factors influencing

antimicrobial prescribing and microbiology testing in hospitals, in order to develop tailored

interventions and sustainable programs in Norway.

In the first project, we studied factors influencing antimicrobial prescribing practices in

Norwegian hospital doctors, using qualitative methods. The same method was applied in the

second project, addressing key communication barriers between microbiology laboratories and

clinical units. In the third project, we will use data collected in a multicentre cohort, to study

microbiology testing practices on admission, and use of microbiology test results for therapy

guidance. The same cohort will be used in the fourth project, where we will study the gap

between current antibiotic prescribing practices and best practice, and the effect of prescribing

practices on patient outcomes