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Legal implications of antibiotic stewardship programs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2020

George Maliha
Affiliation:
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mary Ellen Nepps
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania, Office of the General Counsel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pranita D Tamma
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
Elizabeth Dodds Ashley
Affiliation:
Duke Center for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention, Durham, North Carolina
Julia E Szymczak
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Emma Kolesar
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Keith W Hamilton*
Affiliation:
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
*
Author for correspondence: Keith W. Hamilton, E-mail: keith.hamilton@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Abstract

Infectious diseases professional societies, public health agencies, and healthcare regulatory agencies call for antibiotic stewardship programs (ASP) in many healthcare settings. However, medical legal implications of these programs remain largely uncharted territory. Although there is no legal precedent addressing issues of liability and standards of care on this subject, anticipating how the courts may assess questions of medical liability with respect to the various components of ASPs is important to define best practices in ASP operations, not only to manage the potential risk but also to improve patient care. This article seeks to address some of the common processes and interventions involved in antibiotic stewardship and the potential professional liability implications of these activities.

Type
SHEA White Paper
Copyright
© 2020 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved.

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