Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information for healthcare professionals and students, announced today the release of a complimentary guide designed to help hospitals create comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). The step-by-step eBook, Guidelines for Developing and Enhancing Your Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, defines the pervasive financial and patient care benefits related to ASP implementation, as well as the critical role electronic surveillance technology plays in an effective program.

ASPs address an increasingly critical global concern regarding the rapid growth of multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs). These “superbugs” account for more than 2 million hospitalizations and 23,000 deaths each year in the United States, and their impact is expected to rise exponentially over the next three decades if effective ASPs are not widely adopted. A report commissioned by the British government and published in December projects that deaths caused by drug-resistant pathogens could rise to 317,000 by 2050 in North America alone.

In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommended ASPs for all hospitals. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are expected to require that U.S. acute care, critical care and long-term care hospitals implement antimicrobial stewardship programs by the end of 2017.

“As state and national regulatory scrutiny of antimicrobial management by healthcare organizations intensifies, hospital executives are increasingly leveraging the advantages of ASPs,” said Leo Barbaro, Vice President & General Manager, Clinical Terminologies and Surveillance, Wolters Kluwer Health, Clinical Solutions. “This complementary guide provides a foundation for success and sustainability of these proven programs based on industry best practices.”

The eBook explains the challenges posed by MDROs and how hospitals can take action to slow their progression. Clinical teams will learn about common barriers to implementing ASPs, along with eight elements of a high performing program that impact patient care and the bottom line. The guide also details the role of electronic surveillance and the advantages of leveraging the Sentri7® solution to provide a technical framework for patient care-focused policies, actionable information for members of the ASP team, and the metrics and reporting central to continuous improvement.

Click here to download Guidelines for Developing and Enhancing Your Antimicrobial Stewardship Program.

About Wolters Kluwer Health
Wolters Kluwer Health is a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Serving more than 150 countries worldwide, clinicians rely on Wolters Kluwer Health’s market leading information-enabled tools and software solutions throughout their professional careers from training to research to practice. Major brands include Health Language®, Lexicomp®, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Medicom®, Medi-Span®, Medknow, Ovid®, Pharmacy OneSource®, ProVation® Medical and UpToDate®.

Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company. Wolters Kluwer had 2013 annual revenues of €3.6 billion ($4.7 billion), employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY).

Follow our official Twitter handle: @WKHealth.