Open AccessBarriers and facilitators to the uptake of an antimicrobial stewardship program in primary care: A qualitative study
Author(s) -
Lianne Jeffs,
Warren J. McIsaac,
Michelle Zahradnik,
Arrani Senthinathan,
Linda Dresser,
Mark McIntyre,
David Tannenbaum,
Chaim M. Bell,
Andrew M. Morris
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0223822
Subject(s) - antimicrobial stewardship , qualitative research , context (archaeology) , nursing , primary care , medicine , health care , intervention (counseling) , stewardship (theology) , family medicine , antibiotic resistance , political science , antibiotics , law , microbiology and biotechnology , paleontology , social science , sociology , politics , biology
The overuse of antimicrobials in primary care can be linked to an increased risk of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria for individual patients. Although there are promising signs of the benefits associated with Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) in hospitals and long-term care settings, there is limited knowledge in primary care settings and how to implement ASPs in these settings is unclear. In this context, a qualitative study was undertaken to explore the perceptions of primary care prescribers of the usefulness, feasibility, and experiences associated with the implementation of a pilot community-focused ASP intervention in three primary care clinics. Qualitative interviews were conducted with primary care clinicians, including local ASP champions, prescribers, and other primary health care team members, while they participated in an ASP initiative within one of three primary care clinics. An iterative conventional content analyses approach was used to analyze the transcribed interviews. Themes emerged around the key enablers and barriers associated with ASP implementation. Study findings point to key insights relevant to the scalability of community ASP activities with primary care providers.