The Opportunity
The National Quality Forum’s (NQF) new initiative to promote appropriate antibiotic use is spearheaded by National Quality Partners (NQP), an effort that galvanizes our more than 430 organizational members to take action on significant healthcare issues.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), antibiotic misuse and overuse causes more than two million global illnesses and 23,000 deaths. In addition, the CDC estimates that nearly half of all antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary or prescribed for an incorrect dose or duration.
Over the next year, NQP will:
- Bring together public- and private-sector leaders and experts to develop a common agenda
- Develop and implement strategies to improve antibiotic practices among providers, healthcare organizations, and local communities.
Through this initiative, NQP expects to accelerate the adoption of antibiotic stewardship programs and enhance the use of quality measures and accountability levers to impact antibiotic prescribing patterns. Members of NQP’s antibiotic stewardship action team will provide guidance and feedback on current antibiotic stewardship metrics, recommend best practices for incorporating antibiotic stewardship into accountability programs, and promote tools and resources to support stewardship.
NQF’s work supports the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, which aims to slow the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria and strengthen antibiotic stewardship in inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care settings. NQF is also a partner in the White House’s antibiotic resistance initiative.
Project Funding
This project is funded by a major educational grant from Merck & Co., Inc., with additional support from Astellas, HCA, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Premier, and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Related NQF Work
Contact Information
For further information, contact Kavitha Nallathambi at 202-783-1300 or nationalqualitypartners@qualityforum.org.