Please Note: This learning series is available to Colorado long-term Care facilities only. If you would like support related to Antibiotic Stewardship, please reach out to Telligen’s Infection Preventionist, Jaime Zapata at jazapata@telligen.com.

Series Description: Telligen, the Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) for Colorado, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) invites you to join an upcoming “Tag Busters” learning series focused on antibiotic stewardship. Antibiotic stewardship optimizes the treatment of infections while reducing the side effects of antibiotic use. This learning series is aligned with and supports the CDC’s Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes and is designed to provide participants with evidence-based approaches to improve antibiotic use through action, tracking and reporting.

Why antibiotic stewardship?

• 40% of antibiotic stewardship deficiency tags are related to tracking.
• Antibiotics are often prescribed in nursing homes with 70% of residents receiving antibiotics in a single year.
• Up to 75% of antibiotics prescribed in nursing homes may be unnecessary.
• Inappropriate antibiotic use may result in adverse side effects, including Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infections, resistant organisms and increased healthcare costs.

Each session of this learning series will feature a new topic during which experts will share key information, tools and resources to support success with improving antibiotic stewardship practices, resident safety and quality of care. This series occurs at 12 p.m. MT/1 p.m. CT on the first Friday of each month. Below are the session dates and topics:

• (Optional) Pre-Learning Series Training: Friday, March 31, 2023 – Let’s PDSA!
• Session 1: Friday, April 7, 2023 – Introductions, Foundations of Antibiotic Stewardship
• Session 2: Friday, May 5, 2023 – Measuring and Tracking Antibiotic Use in Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Session 3: Friday, June 2, 2023 – Advancing Stewardship through Data Analysis
• Session 4: Friday, July 7, 2023 – Quality Improvement Project Design
• Session 5: Friday, August 4, 2023 – Utilizing and Reporting Antibiotic Use Data for Patient Care
• Session 6: Friday, September 1, 2023 – Let’s Celebrate Successes!

Objectives of this series include:

• Describe the core elements of antibiotic stewardship for nursing homes
• Design quality initiatives to improve collecting, tracking and reporting of appropriate antibiotic use
• Apply educational tools and resources to improve antibiotic stewardship programs
• Demonstrate effective tracking and reporting practices

(Optional) Pre-Learning Series Training: Let’s PDSA! 

Session Description:

The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle is an action-oriented learning process. This four-part problem-solving model is a simple yet powerful tool for accelerating quality improvement. The PDSA model is shorthand for testing a change — by planning it, trying it, observing the results and acting on what is learned. Join us for this optional session to build upon your quality improvement skill set and learn how to apply this tool to your everyday work!

Objectives:

• Define the steps for documenting tests of change.
• Use the PDSA tool for your next performance improvement project.

Call to Action:

Prior to the session, please brainstorm and bring notes on the following documents/assessments:

1. Determine two areas of antibiotic use tracking and reporting that your facility can improve.
2. Review examples for tracking and reporting: Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes 
3. Select project team champions.
4. Identify tools and resources needed for successful project completion.

Speaker: Courtnay Ryan, Senior Quality Improvement Facilitator, Telligen

Office Hours: Please use this link to speak with Telligen/CDPHE facilitators during open office hours on the following 2023 dates:

• Friday, April 14
• Friday, June 9
• Friday, August 11
• Friday, May 12
• Friday, July 14

Audience: Nursing homes staff, medical directors, prescribing clinicians and consultant pharmacists. We welcome anyone who supports long-term care providers with improving antibiotic stewardship practices.

Registration Required: Registration is now closed for this project. If you would like to be put on the waiting list for the next co-hort, please email Courtnay Ryan at cryan@telligen.com. Thank you!

For More Information: If you are interested in learning more, please contact Lynda Saignaphone at Lynda.saignaphone@state.co.us 

In Collaboration With:

*After the event, you can request presentation slides and other resources by emailing QIConnect@telligen.com.