A cost analysis of introducing an infectious disease specialist-guided antimicrobial stewardship in an area with relatively low prevalence of antimicrobial resistance

Lanbeck P, Ragnarson Tennvall G & Resman F

Antimicrobial stewardship programs have been widely introduced in hospitals as a response to increasing antimicrobial resistance. Although such programs are commonly used, the long-term effects on antimicrobial resistance as well as societal economics are uncertain.

The full health-economic consequences of antimicrobial stewardship programs are complex to calculate due to uncertainties in long-term effects on costs and benefits, as well as due to uncertainties in attributable costs and effects of the infection. This cost analysis is based on a quasi-experimental trial with an historic control of the introduction of an antibiotic stewardship intervention.

This work was supported by Skåne University Hospital, Skåne regional council and in part by funds from the agreement concerning research and education of doctors.

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BMC Health Services Research (2016) 16: 311
DOI: 10.1186/s12913-016-1565-5