Patient-focused program to reduce unnecessary antibiotics in outpatient care
Patient-Centered Stewardship to Improve Antibiotic Use in Ambulatory Care
This project will use patient-directed messages and support to help people who frequently get antibiotics avoid unnecessary antibiotic use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11115655 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team will review medical records from two large health systems to find patients who receive antibiotics often and classify whether those prescriptions were appropriate. They will conduct interviews with people identified as high antibiotic users to understand the reasons and concerns behind their care-seeking and antibiotic use. Using what patients say, researchers will design a brief, patient-centered behavioral nudge (like tailored messages or reminders) and test it in a small randomized pilot. If you get care in the participating clinics, you might be invited to share your experiences or receive the nudge to see whether it changes antibiotic use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults or children in the participating outpatient clinics who have had multiple recent antibiotic prescriptions or are identified as high antibiotic users.
Not a fit: Patients whose antibiotic use is already appropriate, who receive care outside the participating health systems, or who are hospitalized are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, lower side effects, and help slow the spread of antibiotic resistance.
How similar studies have performed: Prior efforts focused on clinician-targeted strategies produced modest improvements in prescribing, while patient-centered behavioral nudges are less tested but show promise.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Linder, Jeffrey a. — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Linder, Jeffrey a.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.