Antimicrobial Stewardship
Antimicrobial stewardship encompasses coordinated programs that improve appropriate antibiotic use by optimizing drug selection, dose, duration, and route to achieve best clinical outcomes while minimizing resistance and adverse effects.
What is Antimicrobial Stewardship?
An Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) is a formal, organization-wide effort to optimize antibiotic use across all clinical settings. Since 2020, CMS Conditions of Participation (CoPs) require all Medicare- and Medicaid-participating hospitals to maintain a formal ASP. The CDC defines seven core elements of an effective ASP: leadership commitment, designated accountability, pharmacy expertise, actionable policies, tracking of antibiotic use data, reporting results to clinicians, and ongoing education. Key metrics tracked by ASPs include days of therapy (DOT) per 1,000 patient days, antibiotic consumption rates by drug class, broad-spectrum antibiotic use percentage, and C. difficile infection rates. The CDC's NHSN Antibiotic Use module provides the national benchmarking infrastructure against which hospitals compare their antibiotic consumption data.
Why It Matters for Healthcare Analytics
Antibiotic overuse costs US healthcare more than $4.6 billion annually, while C. difficile infections — strongly linked to antibiotic exposure — add another $5–7 billion. C. diff is also a CMS HAC Reduction Program measure (NHSN LabID SIR), meaning poor ASP performance feeds directly into Medicare payment penalties. Tracking DOT trends and broad-spectrum use by unit, provider, and diagnosis allows intervention before resistance patterns emerge or HAC scores deteriorate.
How Vizier Tracks Antimicrobial Stewardship
Upload your NHSN antibiotic use data and pharmacy records, then ask "Which units have the highest broad-spectrum antibiotic DOT per 1,000 patient days this quarter?" — Vizier surfaces consumption trends by drug class, unit, and attending provider, and correlates antibiotic use patterns with C. diff SIR performance.