1738. A Needs Assessment and Tailored Webinar Series to Extend Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices to a Skilled Nursing Facility Collaborative Network


 
 
 The CDC’s Core Elements (CDCCE) of Antimicrobial Stewardship outline best practices for antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). We conducted a needs assessment based on the CDCCE and applied the results to creating an educational webinar series.
 
 
 
 A needs assessment based on the CDCCE Checklist was electronically distributed in 10/2021 to members of the Montefiore Health System SNF Collaborative: 33 Bronx and Hudson Valley facilities. A follow-up assessment was performed 2/2022. Responses were aggregated using Google Forms and Microsoft Excel. A 3-part webinar series addressing respiratory, urinary, and skin infections using AHRQ materials was then delivered via Zoom in 4/2022.
 
 
 
 Fifteen facilities responded to the initial assessment. Thirteen facilities reported the director or assistant director of nursing as an ASP leader, with 8 reporting the facility medical director as ASP leader, corresponding to the CDCCE of “Leadership Commitment” and “Accountability.” Fourteen facilities implemented policies to improve antibiotic use (AU), corresponding to “Action.” Corresponding to “Tracking,” all facilities used electronic medical records and monitored at least 1 AU metric, with 11 also monitoring at least 1 adverse outcome related to AU. Fourteen facilities shared AU data with staff, corresponding to “Reporting.” Eighteen facilities responded to the follow-up assessment. Facilities perceived “Action” (7 responses), “Reporting” (4), “Tracking” (2) and “Accountability” (2) as the main areas of weakness in their ASP, despite fulfilling these criteria per the CDCCE Checklist. Facilities expressed interest in education on best AU practices (9) and antibiotic stewardship education for nursing staff (7). Clinical syndromes of interest were pneumonia (5) and wound infections (5). There were 55 participants in the webinar series, from 22 of 33 facilities. Thirty were nurses, 17 were physicians, and 8 were administrators. Figure 1Responses from the follow up needs assessment in February 2022
 
 
 
 Online communication platforms such as Zoom can be a useful tool for providing education about improving antibiotic use in SNFs. Further investigation is needed to determine best strategies to implement, evaluate, and improve ASP in SNFs, considering structural challenges unique to this setting.
 
 
 
 All Authors: No reported disclosures.
