A model for improving and assessing outpatient stewardship initiatives for acute respiratory infection

Abstract

Many hospitals have established inpatient antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs), but outpatient activities remain limited. In 2016, the United Hospital Fund (UHF), an independent nonprofit working to build a more effective healthcare system for every New Yorker, launched a 2-stage grant-funded initiative to evaluate outpatient antibiotic stewardship, focusing on adults with acute respiratory infections (ARIs). Conclusions from stage 1 included few outpatient antibiotic stewardship activities, variation in prescribing, macrolides as the most commonly prescribed antibiotic, and provider interest in improving prescribing.1