Evaluation of a quality improvement framework to improve antibiotic prescribing in hospitals (AQIP)
Project summary
Our project aims to improve the quality and appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing within Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (ICHNT) and Ealing Hospitals NHS Trust (EHT). It has been suggested that inappropriate use of antibiotics can lead to problems such as Clostridium difficile and poorer outcomes for patients. We are investigating the effects of giving ‘instant feedback’ to prescribers on how appropriate their prescribing is, and early results show that this is a powerful tool for encouraging good prescribing.
We particularly want to involve patients to help us understand what information they would like from our project, and how this should be presented and distributed. For example, are inpatients interested in how well antibiotics are prescribed on their ward? If so, how would they like to receive this information?
We would also like to understand what the patients experience is when an antibiotic is prescribed and given to them in hospital.
Project team
- Mark Gilchrist (key contact)
- Ann Jacklin (Principal Investigator)
- Hayley Wickens
- Kandarp Thaakar
- Edward Dickenson
- Frances Sanderson
- Eimear Brannigan
- Alison Holmes
- Kathy Bamford
- Wendy Lawson
- Kam Cheema
- Stuart Richardson
- Esmita Charani
- William Lynn
Key project outputs
- M Gilchrist, H Wickens, F Husson, G Tanner, A Jacklin on behalf of AQIP Team. Digital Patient Video explaining AQIP and patient's views on antibiotics. September 2010. Video available here
- Thakkar, K., Gilchrist, M., Dickinson, E., Benn, J., Dean-Franklin, B. & Jacklin, A. (2011) A quality improvement programme (QIP) to increase compliance with an anti-infective prescribing policy. (Manuscript submitted to Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy).
Project funder
Project collaborators
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
- Ealing Hospitals NHS Trust
- NIHR CLAHRC for Northwest London
Project start and end dates
April 2010 - September 2011
