Interprofessional education in antimicrobial stewardship, a collaborative effort

Abstract

Introduction: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) education and interprofessional collaboration are integral to the success of a stewardship programme. An interactive interprofessional AMS workshop, designed to encourage workplace interprofessional collaboration was piloted in a tertiary hospital. Objectives: To obtain feedback to determine the suitability and sustainability of the AMS workshop. Methods: Feedback was elicited through a predesigned questionnaire containing both open-ended and closed questions on the content and structure of the workshop. Results: The survey had a 70% (n=16) overall response rate. All participants agreed that the goals of the workshop were met and that the knowledge and skills gained from the workshop would help them in their AMS roles. All participants indicated that the workshop content, and the level at which it was pitched, met their expectations and that it had improved their knowledge and skills. All agreed that they found it advantageous and enjoyed learning as an interprofessional group. Open feedback showed that the workshop was found to be useful and would potentially result in improved patient care, dissemination of knowledge, improved teamwork and organizational culture. Conclusions: The positive feedback and changes made following the workshop demonstrated that a targeted AMS educational workshop adds value to an antimicrobial stewardship programme.