LAUSR

Background Antibiotic resistance resulting from inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics is a serious problem facing hospitals. To address this, the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) introduced an Antimicrobial Use and Resistance (AUR) Module. Reporting in this module is not mandatory, but this may change. To prepare NYS hospitals for a potential mandate, the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) launched a voluntary Antibiotic Stewardship Collaborative (ASC) in 2015. This study evaluates the characteristics of hospitals opting to participate in the ASC (N = 44/184) and their experiences in the program, as well as the effects of participation on hospital-acquired C. difficile infection (HA-CDI) rates, during the program's first year. Methods Hypothesis tests of clinical and non-clinical characteristics were performed to better understand the “type” of hospital likely to join the ASC; semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand reasons for opting in or out of the ASC and experiences in the program; and a multivariate regression analysis with a difference-in-differences approach was used to assess the impact on HA-CDI rates. Results Hospitals with a greater number of annual discharges (P Conclusions HANYS’ ASC proved an effective and well-received strategy for encouraging hospitals, particularly large, urban facilities, to develop antibiotic stewardship programs and take concrete steps to prepare for future potential mandates requiring antibiotic usage tracking and reporting. However, a reduction in HA-CDI as a result of these efforts remains to be seen.