Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Members' Perspectives on Program Goals and National Metrics

PurposeThis study compares antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP)-stated goals and outcomes collected as well as opinions regarding national metric establishment.MethodsTwenty-one ASP members underwent telephone interviews answering open-ended questions about ASP goals, outcomes collected, and opinions about national metrics. Content analysis was used to code responses into predefined ASP-metric categories.FindingsThe most common ASP goal was antimicrobial appropriateness (76%), outcomes tracked were use and microbial outcomes (both 71%), and desired national metric was use (67%).ImplicationsStated-goals, outcomes tracked, and opinions regarding national metric establishment did not fully align. With ASP-related regulations looming, it is important that alignment is increased.