Aster Medcity gets IDSA's Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Stewardship designation

It is the first hospital in India and southeast Asia to be conferred with the honour

Aster Medcity

Aster Medcity has been conferred with the Center of Excellence title in Antimicrobial Stewardship by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). The program recognizes institutions that have implemented a robust Antimicrobial Stewardship Program over years using the multi-pronged interventions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are able to demonstrate results that meet global standards. Aster Medcity of the Aster DM Healthcare group is the first hospital to receive this designation in India & Southeast Asia.

The Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (AMSP) highlights the structural and process measures comprehensively implemented by an organization/hospital and continuously monitors its outcomes, with interventions focused on improving them. The aim is to ensure that patients with infectious complications/syndromes managed by the hospital are provided with appropriate antimicrobial therapy that is evidence-based and to achieve the best results, curtailing the collateral damage of evolving antimicrobial resistance.

Speaking about the measures undertaken, Dr Anup R. Warrier, Head - Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Aster DM Healthcare - India Units, said, “Like, access to clean water and air, we have taken antibiotics for granted for too long. Antibiotics have significantly improved global health. Indeed, they have been a cornerstone of modern medicine, including advanced surgical procedures. However, decades of overuse and misuse of antibiotics have accelerated the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria, research has also shown that a high proportion of antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary or inappropriately prescribed. To improve patient outcomes and reduce resistance, we are committed to AMS by practising an integrated approach to AMS, combining clinical infectious diseases, infection control, microbiology, and clinical pharmacy inputs – all implemented using the unique ‘Handshake Model’.

“We are honoured to receive this acclaim from the IDSA and this is a reflection of our longstanding efforts and commitment over the past 5 years to ensure the best outcomes inpatient care. We strive for clinical excellence and take our commitment to AMS very seriously. One of the key differentiators of AMSP at Aster Medcity has been its focus on clinical management, integrating the AMSP principles into treatment decisions for patients, and optimization of dose and dosing of antimicrobials”, Warrier adds.

Selection criteria:

The program emphasizes an institution’s ability to implement stewardship protocols by integrating best practices to slow the emergence of resistance, optimize the treatment of infections, reduce adverse events associated with antibiotic use and address other challenging areas related to antimicrobial stewardship. A panel of IDSA member experts in antimicrobial stewardship, including ID-trained physicians and ID-trained pharmacists, evaluate CoE applications against high-level criteria established by IDSA leadership for determining merit. This broadly consists of an evaluation of leadership commitment, appropriate utilization of information technology, evidence of implementation of key strategies for stewardship, availability of trained team members (ID Physician and Clinical Pharmacists) and the review of key quality measures of AMSP.