Why should I report my antibiotic start data to DPH?
Antibiotic Tracking is a CDC Core Element of Antibiotic Stewardship. We will create benchmarking reports so you can see how your antibiotic use compares to other similar facilities in the state. These reports can be used to start an essential conversation about responsible antibiotic use with leadership at your facility.
What is new about the reporting process?
Starting in 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) will be generating quarterly antibiotic start reports. Facilities will still report monthly data, but the reports will reflect aggregated quarterly data.
When do I report?
You can report data for any of the three months of each quarter throughout the quarter of interest and for the month following that quarter.
For example, you can report January data from February 1 to April 30.
You can report all three months at one time (you will still need to fill out the survey three separate times) or continue to report monthly as you have in the past.
Where do I enter my data?
Enter your monthly data using this online tool.
Do I use the same link every month?
Yes.
It’s past the reporting deadline for the quarter. Can I report data retrospectively?
You can report quarterly data past the deadline, but you will not receive a report for that quarter. DPH cannot generate a report for you past the deadline, as this will affect the average antibiotic start rates for all facilities. The retrospective numbers will be included in the table on the first page of your future reports.
Do not report data for years past.
How do I calculate resident days?
There are three different ways to calculate resident days:
1. Add your daily census for each day of the month. OR
2. Multiply your average daily census for the month by the number of days in the month. OR
3. If you do not have daily census information, you can use your percent occupancy on the last day of the month in following formula to approximate resident-days.
Resident days = your percent occupancy X total facility bed size X number of days in the month.
For example: A facility with 80% occupancy on the last day of January with a total facility bed size of 100 would have resident days = 0.80 x 100 x 31 days in January = 2480.
If a new patient is admitted to my facility ON an antibiotic during the month I am reporting for, should I count this as an antibiotic start for the month?
Yes. The reason for this is that admitting a patient on an antibiotic represents an opportunity to re-evaluate the need for it.
What if I have NO antibiotic starts for the month I am reporting?
You should still complete the survey so that we know you had no starts and didn’t forget to report.
You simply will not enter numbers after any of the antibiotics listed. It is still important for you to provide us with your resident days for this month.
Should I report antivirals such as Tamiflu?
No.
Should I report antibiotic creams and eye drops/ointments?
No.
Can DPH send my antibiotic start report to multiple people at my facility?
DPH can only send the generated antibiotic start report to the email(s) you specify in the ‘Your Email Address’ field of the survey. DPH does not maintain a listserv.
If you would like the report to go to multiple people, you can enter multiple emails in this field separated by semicolons. For example, “john.doe@facility.com; jane.doe@facility.com”
What if my facility is not listed in the drop-down menu under the “Facility Name” field in the survey?
Please choose the ‘Other’ option in the drop-down menu and enter in your facility name manually.
Where can I find a spreadsheet that helps me to track my data throughout the month?
We recommend using IPRO’s Monthly Infection and Antibiotic Tracking Tool found here: Implementing Strategies for COVID-19 Surveillance and Early Detection – IPRO NQIIC