AntibiogramDSM: a combined local antibiogram and educational intervention

Abstract Objective: To describe the development of a combined local antibiogram and assess its utility in an educational intervention. Design: Retrospective analysis of a combined, multi-healthcare system antibiogram with an educational intervention and pre-post analysis. Setting: Creation of the combined antibiogram included all health systems in Des Moines, Iowa. The educational intervention was delivered live via webinar and remained available on demand for one year. Participants: The combined antibiogram participants included four health systems representing eight hospitals. The educational intervention included 45 healthcare providers (15 live, 30 on demand) who elected to participate. Methods: Yearly antibiograms were collected from four health systems for 2017 and 2018 and from three health systems for 2019 and 2020. Each was aggregated into a single antibiogram, posted online, and analyzed retrospectively. In 2021, an educational intervention took place, which included pre-educational assessments, a one-hour presentation on local resistance rates and impact on common infections, and post-education assessments. The educational session was available online for one year. Correct responses before and after education were compared using NcNemar’s test. Results: Over 4 yr, 123,168 isolates were included in the antibiogram, representing 57 species and 46 tested antibiotics. Before education, prediction of local resistance rates for E. coli and S. pneumoniae was poor. After the education session, there was improvement in the proportion of correct responses to case-based questions: pneumonia (31.8% vs 58.8%, P = 0.022), UTI (47.7% vs 85.3%, P < 0.001), sinusitis (75% vs 91.2%, P = 0.109), and diverticulitis (43.2% vs 88.2%, P = 0.002). Conclusions: A combined local antibiogram was useful in supporting an outpatient education program.