An assessment of issues surrounding implementation of the Campaign to Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance in Healthcare Settings

Background: The Campaign to Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance in Healthcare Settings was developed through 9 research projects: 1 to determine the name and image, 5 to test the 12-step programs, and 3 to evaluate the Campaign. This report analyzes data from 9 projects and reports key findings. Methods: Data from the 9 projects were analyzed by 4 topics: perceptions of the problem of antimicrobial resistance, barriers to preventing antimicrobial resistance, most and least important steps and strategies, and preferences for materials and information sources. Results: Data from 21 in-depth interviews, 19 focus groups, and 3 surveys were analyzed. A total of 695 clinicians participated: 564 (81.2%) were physicians; 98 (14.1%) were nurses; and 33 (4.7%) were other healthcare professionals. Differences by both occupation and medical specialty area were observed. A majority of participants agreed that antimicrobial resistance is a problem nationally, whereas fewer agreed that it is a problem in their institution or practice. Of the Campaign's 4 strategies, "Diagnose and Treat Infection Effectively" and "Use Antimicrobials Wisely" were considered most important, whereas "Prevent Infection" and "Prevent Transmission" were considered least important. Frequently cited preferences for materials included posters and professional resources such as journal articles and presentations at conferences or annual meetings of professional societies. Conclusion: The findings highlight important issues that could influence the success of implementation of the Campaign to Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance in Healthcare Settings. Tailoring the campaign messages and supporting materials to individual institutions or clinician types are encouraged to address or acknowledge these issues and facilitate behavior change.