Reducing Antibiotic Use by Implementation of Stewardship in Primary and Urgent Care

Children often receive antibiotics for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) which are caused by viruses, such as the common cold. However, antibiotics cannot treat viruses. Using antibiotics when they are not needed can cause harm - including side effects like rashes, vomiting and diarrhea - and can make it harder for the antibiotics to work when they are needed to treat infections caused by bacteria. For ARTIs caused by bacteria - like ear infections, sinus infections, strep throat or pneumonia - narrow-spectrum antibiotics are the best choice. This is because narrow-spectrum antibiotics target only the harmful bacteria, while "broad-spectrum" antibiotics target additional bacteria than can be helpful for the body. For many of these infections, it is also better to use shorter courses of antibiotics (such as five days) instead of longer courses (such as 10 days). Research studies have shown clearly that shorter courses and narrow-spectrum antibiotics cure infections just as well as longer courses and broad-spectrum antibiotics, but with fewer side effects. Over two years, the project team will use proven strategies to ensure that children get the right antibiotics for the right amount of time. During this time, all pediatric doctors and nurse practitioners in this large, diverse network will receive: 1. Online education about proper antibiotic prescribing. 2. Regular feedback on how their antibiotic prescribing and group A strep testing compares to their peers and to professional guidelines. 3. Tools in the electronic health record to make it easy to prescribe the right antibiotics. 4. Yearly, live hybrid in-person and online educational sessions The project team will determine how well this program works by measuring: 1. How often antibiotics are prescribed to children with ARTIs. 2. How often children with bacterial ARTIs (ear infections, sinus infections, strep throat and pneumonia) get the right antibiotic choice and right number of antibiotic days.