- Significant improvements in antibiotic selection: 35% for abdominal infections, 28% for skin/soft tissue infections.
- Large-scale implementation potential across 190 HCA Healthcare hospitals.
- Effective reduction in the use of unnecessary broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Two extensive clinical trials conducted in 92 HCA Healthcare hospitals have led to a significant breakthrough in improving antibiotic selection for patients with abdominal or skin and soft tissue infections. These studies, involving over 316,000 patients, demonstrated that using computerized alerts to aid clinicians in antibiotic selection resulted in a 35% improvement for abdominal infections and a 28% improvement for skin and soft tissue infections.
The system leverages patient-specific data from electronic medical records alongside hospital data to evaluate the risk of antibiotic-resistant infections. For patients identified as low-risk, physicians were advised to opt for standard-spectrum antibiotics instead of broad-spectrum ones.
The research is part of the INSPIRE trials, which aim to address two of the most common infections necessitating hospitalization. Based on pre-trial data from over 420,000 patients, HCA Healthcare is now implementing these protocols across its network of 190 hospitals, potentially enhancing care for millions of patients while addressing antibiotic resistance.
The Trials' findings not only improve patient outcomes by minimizing unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics but also align with the Infectious Diseases Society of America treatment guidelines. These trials further exemplify HCA Healthcare's strategic use of its extensive data ecosystem to enhance clinical operations and patient care.
