Telemedicine-based antibiotic stewardship program in pediatrics: study protocol of a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial—the TeleKasper study

Diexer, Sophie; Ihling, Angelika; Gomes, Delphina; Moritz, Stefan; Simon, Arne; Dohna-Schwake, Christian; Mikolajczyk, Rafael; Huebner, Johannes; Both, Ulrich von (2024): Telemedicine-based antibiotic stewardship program in pediatrics: study protocol of a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial—the TeleKasper study. Trials, 25: 678. ISSN 1745-6215

Abstract

Background

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics is one of the driving factors of antimicrobial resistance, a growing global health threat. The use of antibiotics is particularly high in children. Even though the implementation of antibiotic stewardship programs (ASP) in pediatrics has been shown to reduce antibiotic use, this implementation has been limited to large university hospitals in Germany. Telemedicine applications might be an effective approach to implement ASP in non-university settings.

Methods

This protocol details the TeleKasper study (Telemedical Competence Network “Antibiotic Stewardship in Pediatrics”). Tele-Kasper is a stepped-wedge cluster-randomized trial that will be conducted across non-university children’s hospitals in Germany. The intervention consists of a telemedical consultation service in the form of a network in different German areas, using an app as a communication tool. The primary outcome will be a 20% reduction in overall antibiotic consumption measured using defined daily doses per 100 patient days.

Discussion

The TeleKasper study aims to implement and evaluate a prototype for a nationwide antibiotic stewardship program by telemedical means in pediatric departments in non-university hospitals in Germany to promote rational antibiotic use and improve medical care for infections.

• Doc-Type: Article (LMU Hospital)
• Organisational unit (Faculties): 07 Medicine > Medical Center of the University of Munich > Pediatric Clinic and Outpatient Clinic in the Dr. von Hauner Children‘s Hospital
• DFG subject classification of scientific disciplines: Life sciences
• DFG: Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) - 491502892