GBA new healthcare approaches - TELE-KASPER - Telemedical competence network "Antibiotic Stewardship in Pediatrics"
- Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Johannes Hübner
- Affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital
- Funding: 2020 to 2023
Multi-resistant pathogens (MRE) have been increasing in Germany for years. One reason for this is the frequent and often uncritical use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, especially in children and adults treated in hospital. Antibiotic Stewardship (ABS) programs are designed to support a more controlled use of antibiotics in hospitals. However, these programs have so far been very rare in paediatrics outside of university hospital paediatrics departments.
The TELE-KASPER project aims to improve the care of children in non-university paediatrics departments by establishing a telemedical ABS program. Using a smartphone app, doctors are to be advised and trained on the diagnosis and treatment of infections in children and supported in the treatment of complicated infectious cases. A Germany-wide network, consisting of clinics experienced in ABS, is to be built up and to provide support. To document the benefits of these programs, the project records the local consumption of antibiotics and compares resistance statistics.
The project aims to examine the use of antibiotics in at least 28 non-university paediatrics departments. The ABS program is then introduced and evaluated in the various departments in a randomized time sequence. Researchers analyze whether antibiotic consumption and resistance statistics are changing, how long the length of stay in hospital and how high the mortality is. In addition, it is evaluated how often the ABS program is used, how quickly questions about child infections can be answered and how satisfied the doctors involved are.
The project will be funded with around 7.7 million euros for three years.
If successful, the ABS program can improve the care of children in non-university paediatrics departments across the board and at the same time create new skills in local and regional paediatrics departments. In this way, the project can contribute to the appropriate use of antibiotics in paediatrics departments and thus to the containment of antibiotic resistance.
Source: GBA Innovationsfonds