NHSN Antimicrobial Use and Resistance Module

Widespread overuse of antibiotics has contributed to an increase in antibiotic-resistant infections and also in Clostridioides difficile infections. In a variety of health care settings, antibiotic stewardship programs (ASP) are being developed to reduce inappropriate use of antibiotics and reduce the impact of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

Hospitals can assess the impact of their ASP compared to other U.S. hospitals by tracking the utilization of antibiotics and the occurrence of drug-resistant infections using a data system called the Antimicrobial Use and Resistance Module (AUR Module). This module is one component of a system that almost all Minnesota hospitals use to track hospital-associated infections, the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

• Antimicrobial Use and Resistance Module: A tool to manage, use, and report hospital antibiotic use data (PDF)

Meaningful Use

• CDC: Meaningful Use 3 | NHSN CDA Submission Support Portal (CSSP)
  The AUR Module uses data from electronic health records to reduce the problem of antibiotic resistance affecting the broader population, and is therefore included as a “Public Health Registry” option under the Stage 3 Electronic Health Record Meaningful Use Program.

Trainings

For other types of NHSN reporting, data can be entered manually, case by case, into a secure website. The AUR Module is different in that data are extracted the hospital’s information systems and then summary files are uploaded securely to the NHSN system.

• CDC: National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Training; Patient Safety Component Training
  AUR module-specific training videos and slide sets can be accessed toward the bottom of the CDC’s NHSN Patient Safety Component page, under the heading AUR – Antimicrobial Use & Resistance.
  
  
• Webex Recording: Actionable Data for Antibiotic Stewardship: Case Examples
  On May 8, 2018, CDC, MDH, the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, and the Tucson Medical Center conducted a webinar that included case studies describing how two hospitals utilize antibiotic use data tracked in the AUR module: 1) to target and evaluate a specific antibiotic stewardship initiative, and 2) to visualize and evaluate antibiotic use data. They summarized key features and capabilities of the AUR module including the antibiotic use benchmarking measure, the Standardized Antimicrobial Administration Ratio (SAAR). The public health benefits of reporting and national expansion of this system were also discussed.
  • Actionable Data for Antibiotic Stewardship: Case Examples (PDF)
    Webinar slides.
    If you would like more information or content in a different format, please reach out to the MDH Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Section at health.hai@state.mn.us.