Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy in Germany: a prospective cohort study protocol

• Published in: BMJ open 2022-11, Vol.12 (11), p.e061417-e061417
• Main Authors: Scholten, Nadine, Leisse, Charlotte, Brandes, Vanessa, Oberröhrmann, Charlotte, Ihle, Peter, Peter, Sophie, Hagemeier, Anna, Hellmich, Martin, Lindemann, Christoph H., Samel, Christina, Pfaff, Holger, Lehmann, Clara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Cohort analysis; Cost benefit analysis; GENERAL MEDICINE (see Internal Medicine); Health care expenditures; Health Services Research; Home health care; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; Intravenous therapy; Organisation of health services; Quality in health care
• ISSN: 2044-6055; 2044-6055
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061417

IntroductionOutpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) means intravenous administration of antibiotics outside the hospital. The antibiotics are administered at the patient’s home. The advantages are the shortening of the inpatient stay, which means that patients can remain in their familiar environment, the reduction of nosocomial infections as well as the reduction of hospital and therapy costs. Nevertheless, OPAT is rarely performed in Germany, despite its international application. Therefore, systematic data on OPAT are not available in Germany. The project objective is to investigate the medical care using OPAT under medical, epidemiological and economic aspects within the framework of the Cologne Network of Infectious Diseases.Methods and analysisObservational study with mixed-methods approach, qualitative analysis to identify physician-side factors to assess the attitude of general practitioners in Cologne with regard to possible implementation barriers of an OPAT. Longitudinal analysis of an OPAT patient cohort with respect to clinical and patient-relevant outcomes using descriptive and conclusive statistics.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Cologne, Germany (19-1284-1). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. The results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at one or more scientific conferences.Trial registration numberNCT04002453.