Antibiotic prescribing is a high impact intervention which if not done correctly can lead to treatment failure, the emergence of Clostridium difficile and antibiotic resistance. The majority of antibiotic prescribing is undertaken by junior doctors not specialised in the treatment of infections.
The Imperial Antibiotic Prescribing Policy (IAPP) smartphone application was developed working closely with the Trust's Antibiotic Review Group and an external software developer. The app provides clinical decision support at the point of care to improve antimicrobial stewardship and appropriate prescribing. The app was used over 4800 times in the first month.
The IAPP has won a local award for innovation in recognition of the impact it has made. It has also been awarded the Antimicrobial Management Award 2011 from the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association (UKCPA) and was Highly Commended at the prestigious Health Service Journal Patient Safety Awards 2012.
The success of the application has generated interest from other Trusts across the UK and CIPM will be supporting the HPA Scotland in the development of a similar product for GPs.
"Antibiotics have revolutionised medical practice. To remain effective at preventing and treating infections, we need to ensure they are prescribed appropriately. This app - developed by clinicians, for clinicians - brings recommended guidelines to the prescriber's pockets making it more likely they will be followed. Most health professionals now carry smartphones and I strongly believe that clinicians will increasingly use them to support more evidence-based clinical decision making." - Professor The Lord Darzi.
