| Commitment |
- Identify a single leader to direct antibiotic stewardship activities
- Include antibiotic stewardship-related duties in position description or job evaluation criteria
- Communicate with all clinic staff members to set patient expectations
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| Action for policy and practice |
- Use evidence-based diagnostic criteria and treatment recommendations
- Use delayed prescribing practices or watchful waiting when appropriate
- Require explicit written justification in the medical record for nonrecommended antibiotic prescribing
- Provide support for clinical decisions
|
| Tracking and reporting |
- Provide audit and feedback at the individual clinician level or at the facility level
- Comparison of clinicians’ performance with that of their peers
- Identify high-priority conditions as opportunities to improve clinician adherence to guidelines for antibiotic prescribing
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| Education and expertise |
- Use effective communications strategies to educate patients about when antibiotics are and are not needed
- Provide patient education materials
- Provide continuing education activities for clinicians
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