Advanced dementia is a common, morbid and costly condition. The end-stage of dementia is characterized by the onset infections and antimicrobial use is extensive. Prior and on-going research suggests that much of this use may be inappropriate. Antimicrobial use also is the main factor leading to antimicrobial-resistant bacteri (ARB);a growing public health concern. Moreover, palliation is the goal of care for the majority of nursing home (NH) residents with advanced dementia and the benefits of antimicrobials remain unclear for these residents for whom infections are often a terminal event. Thus, antimicrobial misuse in advanced dementia raises concerns both from the perspective of individual benefits and burdens near the end-of-life, and also from a public health standpoint with respect to the emergence of ARB. Preliminary data from the co-PIs'on-going NIH-funded R01 prospective cohort study (Study of Pathogen Resistance and Exposure to Antimicrobials in Dementia (SPREAD)), suggest that ~70% of antimicrobials are initiated inappropriately in NH residents with advanced dementia (i.e.,started despite the lack of clinical evidence to suggest an infection based on consensus guidelines). The residents'proxies were unaware ~50% of suspected infections, and 67% of residents were colonized with an ARB. These findings motivated the co-PIs to design a practice intervention to improve the quality of care for suspected urinary (UTI) and lower respiratory (LRI) tract infections in this population. The intervention has two components: 1. Provider training using an on-line education course (Infection Management in Advanced Dementia) and algorithms and checklists to guide antimicrobial initiation, and 2. Printed material for proxies to inform them about infections and treatment considerations in advanced dementia. Leveraging infrastructure from SPREAD, the Aims are: 1: To establish the feasibility of conducting a cluster RCT of the practice intervention in ~ 60 NH residents with advanced dementia in 4 facilities (2 matched intervention/control pairs);and 2: To conduct a pilot study of a cluster RCT of the intervention where the primary outcome is the % of suspected LRIs and UTIs for which antimicrobials were initiated appropriately defined by 2 factors: i. minimal clinical criteria to start antimicrobials were met based on consensus guidelines, and ii. treatment was consistent with proxy preferences. Secondary outcomes include: proxy satisfaction with decision-making, % episodes for which residents were hospitalized, and total antimicrobial exposure. Analyses will focus on providing estimates of effect sizes and design effect. IMPLICATIONS: There is a critical need to improve the quality of care for infections in advanced dementia. Pilot testing a practice intervention is te next logical step towards this goal. The exploratory work proposed in this R21 will provide the pilot data needed to conduct a larger RCT. Ultimately this research has the potential to make clinical and policy-relevant contributions for the millions of Americans with advanced dementia by promoting care that is consistent with their preferences, and by reducing the growing public health threat of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the NH.
There is a critical need to improve the quality of care for suspected infections in nursing home residents with advanced dementia. The objective of the proposed work is to conduct a 2-year pilot study of a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a practice intervention to improve the quality of antimicrobial use for suspected infections in thi population. The exploratory work proposed in this R21 will provide the pilot data needed to support to conduct a larger RCT. Ultimately this body of research has the potential to make important clinical and policy-relevant contributions by promoting end-of-life care for the millions of Americans with advanced dementia that is consistent with their preferences, and by reducing the rapidly growing public health threat of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the nursing home setting.
