May 11, 2023 – Overuse of antibiotic prescriptions for patients with upper respiratory illnesses at urgent care clinics in the United States has been an ongoing challenge, but a new study led by researchers at two Utah health systems – Intermountain Health and University of Utah Health – finds that a targeted approach utilizing antibiotic stewardship practices significantly reduces overuse of these medications.
In this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded study, published today in JAMA Network Open, researchers were able to reduce prescribing rates at urgent care clinics by 15% – which equates to millions of doses of antibiotics – by using antibiotic stewardship initiatives specifically designed for these outpatient settings.
They say that when healthcare systems create and implement a tailored and targeted intervention designed specifically for urgent care facilities, they can be successful in ensuring patients are receiving more appropriate care for their illnesses.
…Urgent care facilities play a critical role in American healthcare. They’re one of the fastest growing sites of outpatient delivery care in the U.S., with patient visits increasing by 50% or more in recent years.
As beneficial as they are in meeting important, but not emergency medical situations, urgent care centers have also lagged in terms of antibiotic stewardship. Clinicians in these settings are more likely to prescribe antibiotics even when they are not likely to help a patient, which can lead to dangerous side effects and contribute to antibiotic resistance…