Developing and Implementing Electronic Health Record (HER) Alerts to Reduce Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescriptions

Abstract: The overprescription of antibiotics is a significant public health issue, contributing to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Electronic Health Record (HER) alerts in reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions. Conducted in a large urban hospital, the intervention involved developing and implementing HER alerts to prompt clinicians when an antibiotic prescription may be inappropriate. Over a six-month period, we monitored antibiotic prescription patterns, comparing data from the three months prior to the intervention (control period) with the three months post-implementation (intervention period). Data from 500 patient encounters were analysed, with 250 encounters in each period. The primary outcome was the rate of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions, defined according to established clinical guidelines. During the control period, 45% (113/250) of the prescriptions were deemed inappropriate.