LAUSR

Abstract Background Hospital antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) deploy variably evidence-based interventions aimed at improving antimicrobial use and reducing antimicrobial resistance. Little is known about how ASPs are perceived by hospital clinicians or how such data might inform ASP improvement. We conducted an ethnographic study of hospital ASPs and infectious diseases (ID), surgical intensive care unit (SICU) and medical intensive care unit (MICU) practitioners to identify how ASPs are understood and integrated into everyday practice by hospital staff. Methods A medical anthropologist performed direct observation of patient care and semi-structured interviews with ID (N = 29), SICU (N = 10), and MICU (N = 19) practitioners at two affiliated teaching hospitals in Chicago, IL, between July 2017 and September 2018, accruing >576 hours of direct observations and 48 hours of semi-structured interview data. Data collection and analysis centered on explicating the understandings and interpretations of ASPs present in diverse practice groups. Transcriptions of the data were analyzed using thematic coding aided by MAXQDA qualitative analysis software. Results Understandings and interpretations of ASPs varied greatly between the practice groups. ID practitioners commonly focused on “changing prescribing behavior” and “restricting inappropriate usage,” while MICU and SICU practitioners more often emphasized “following guidelines” and maintaining clinical “balance.” Additionally, direct observation data demonstrate that MICU and SICU practitioners are bounded by social and institutional determinants of antimicrobial prescribing (Table 1) that affect the pursuit of “appropriate antimicrobial use.” Conclusion Ethnographic interrogation found that practice groups understand and integrate ASPs differently according to everyday encounters with the social and institutional determinants of antimicrobial prescribing. ASP effectiveness might be enhanced by adopting a more mindful approach to accounting for and addressing the distinct understandings and interpretations of ASPs among diverse practice groups operating within the same institution. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.