A multinational survey of companion animal veterinary clinicians: How can antimicrobial stewardship guidelines be optimised for the target stakeholder?

Automated Disease Classification of Veterinary Clinical Narratives for Antimicrobial Stewardship Guideline Monitoring

“…Here, we examined ASG's role in shaping prescribing patterns among companion animal veterinarians. We identified from a preceding survey study that, among a wide array of existing ASGs, the PROTECT ME guideline emerged as the most widely adopted within the UK veterinary system 52 . Over 71.0% of responding active companion animal clinicians affirming they employed the PROTECT ME framework in their practice 53 .…”

“…to some extent. The PROTECT ME framework is widely adopted and utilised by a majority percentage (71.0%) of active companion animal clinicians in the UK, as indicated by a prior study 52,53 . However, it may not always be apparent why a veterinarian diverges from an ASG within their clinical notes or which guidelines they follow in their practice, if any.…”

“…However, it is challenging to determine whether these minor deviations can be attributed to biological factors such as disease severity, lab reports indicating lower antimicrobial sensitivity, or specific circumstances rendering the recommended drugs unsuitable-such as allergies. Prior research has examined the influence of non-clinical prescription reasons, such as owner pressure, differing antimicrobial costs, or additional laboratory diagnostic testing expenses, as well as the availability of the antimicrobial 52,59,60 . Such factors are often beyond the control of clinicians and have significant implications on prescribing behaviours.…”