A Qualitative Study of Antibiotic Stewardship Implementation at Arizona Skilled Nursing Facilities

Abstract

Background: The CDC Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship (AS) include 7 evidence-based best practices adapted for a variety of healthcare settings, including nursing homes. We aimed to identify barriers and facilitators related to AS implementation in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) within 18 months of the CMS mandate for AS implementation in SNFs, and to examine their relevance to the CDC’s Core Elements for Nursing Homes. Methods: We conducted 56 semistructured interviews with administrators, clinicians, and nonclinical staff at 10 SNFs in urban, suburban, rural, and border regions of Arizona. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and imported into NVivo v12.0 software for constant comparative analysis by 3 researchers using a priori and emergent codes. After iterative coding, we confirmed high interrater reliability (κ = 0.8), finalized the code book, and used matrix coding queries to examine relationships and generate themes. Results: We identified 7 themes as “influencers” that were less (barrier) or more (facilitator) supportive of AS in SNFs. Intra- and interfacility communication were the most frequently described: respondents described stronger communication within the SNF and between the SNF and hospitals, labs, and pharmacies as critical to robust AS implementation. Other influencers included AS education, antibiotic tracking systems, SNF prescribing norms, human resources, and diagnostic resources. The Core Elements were reflected in all influencer themes except interfacility communication between SNFs and hospitals. Additionally, themes pertaining to systems emerged as critical to successful AS implementation, including the need to address: the interactions of multiple roles across the traditional SNF hierarchy, stewardship barriers from the lens of patient-level concerns (as opposed to population-level concerns), the distinction between antibiotic prescribing gatekeepers and stewardship gatekeepers, and care transition policies and practices. The Core Elements target many aspects of these systems themes—for example, they recognize the importance of creating a culture of stewardship. However, they do not address care transition policies or procedures beyond recommending that transfer-initiated antibiotics be tracked and verified. Conclusions: Because the interactions of various agents within and beyond the SNF can facilitate or inhibit stewardship in complex ways, our findings suggest the use of a systems approach to AS implementation that prioritizes communication within the SNF hierarchy, and between SNFs and hospitals, diagnostic facilities, and pharmacies. When followed, the CDC’s Core Elements can provide crucial guidance. However, SNFs need support to overcome the challenges of incorporating these elements into policy and practice. Additionally, more work is needed to understand and enhance stewardship-related care transition, which remains under-addressed by the CDC.

Disclosures: None

Funding: None