By Katie Sandlin, Associate Product Manager, Microbiology IT Solutions
Antimicrobial stewardship teams are hard at work on the front lines, and in today’s environment, responsible antimicrobial use has never been more important. Stewardship teams play a critical role in reducing the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Our “On the Front Lines” webinar series is created for antimicrobial stewardship teams. It aims to bring together laboratorians and clinicians to share best practices for optimizing diagnostic data and technology, with the overall goal of preserving antibiotics for future generations. The first webinar of the 2020 series takes place May 12 at 2 PM ET and is titled, “Diagnostic Stewardship is a Key Driver of Antimicrobial Use.”
Under- and over-testing can drive inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, leading to potential patient harm, an increase in patient wait times, and the waste of health system resources. In this pre-recorded webinar, Dr. Victor Leung will discuss clinical scenarios in which diagnostic stewardship can help antimicrobial prescribing and the overall role that faster diagnostic testing plays in antimicrobial stewardship.
Dr. Leung will give specific examples of diagnostic stewardship and their impact on antibiotic prescribing, such as reducing unnecessary testing and implementing coordinated C. difficile testing and management. Dr. Leung will also discuss how each measure of stewardship can positively impact patients and the hospital by providing targeted antimicrobial treatment.
Professional Acknowledgment for Continuing Education (P.A.C.E.®) credits will be offered for this webinar. For more information and to register, visit: go.biomerieux.com/diagnostic-stewardship.
Opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of bioMerieux, Inc.
