Antimicrobial stewardship programs – cost-minimizing or cost-effective?

Abstract

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are aimed to improve patient care and health care outcomes. It is encouraging to find ASP interventions to be cost-saving in many cost-minimization analyses in literature. Nevertheless, the cost-effectiveness of ASP interventions, measured in cost per quality-adjusted life-years, is less well-established. This Editorial aims to explore the barriers in assessing clinical effectiveness of ASPs and provide suggestions to conduct cost-effectiveness analysis of ASPs.

Keywords:

• antimicrobial stewardship program
• cost-effective
• cost-minimizing
• mult-drug resistance

Declaration of interest

The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.