# Impact of Raising Awareness and Providing Feedback on Compliance to Antibiotic Prescription Guidelines in Pediatric Inpatients

## TL;DR

This study shows that raising awareness and providing feedback can improve compliance with antibiotic prescription guidelines in a pediatric ward in India.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is demonstrating the effectiveness of awareness and feedback interventions in improving antibiotic prescription compliance in a developing country setting.

## Key findings

- Antibiotic use decreased from 60% to 46.1% after the intervention.
- Compliance with antibiotic policy increased from 46% to 61% after the intervention.
- Continuous awareness and feedback cycles are needed to achieve higher compliance levels.

## Abstract

Introduction: Antibiotics are vital in managing infectious diseases that significantly burden health infrastructure in a developing country like India. However, the widespread and irrational use of antibiotics has given rise to the menace of antibiotic resistance that threatens to take us back to the pre-antibiotic era. Our study aimed to evaluate the baseline compliance to antibiotic policy in the pediatric inpatient ward and analyze the impact of interventions on compliance with the policy.

Materials and methods: The prospective study was done at MGM Medical College and Hospital, Aurangabad. The study included infants and children from one month to 18 years of age admitted to the pediatric ward. Patients' prescription charts were evaluated in 375 patients during the first three months of the study, and prescribed antibiotics were recorded and compared with standard treatment guidelines. The intervention included awareness, educational, and feedback sessions regarding antibiotic prescription policies. The antibiotics prescribed were analyzed in 375 patients during the next three months.

Results: We found out that in the pre-intervention and post-intervention phases, out of a total of 375 patients, 60% and 46.1% were on antimicrobials, respectively. Out of those who were on antimicrobials, only 46% were compliant with the policy initially. That increased to 61% after the intervention.

Conclusion: Awareness, education, and feedback regarding antibiotic prescription policy as an intervention helped increase compliance, though not to the desired level of more than 90%. Continuous cycles of awareness and feedback help achieve better compliance.