Patients leaving the hospital with severe infections requiring prolonged antibiotic
treatment face significant risks without vigilant monitoring, especially where access
to infectious disease specialists is limited. At HealthPartners, care after discharge was
historically disjointed and often left to primary care providers to coordinate. In 2023,
the health system’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Program found 13 errors over 6 weeks
across 5 hospitals, largely due to fragmented oversight and limited access to specialists.
In response, the health system established a centralized complex outpatient antibiotic
therapy program in 2024 to support discharged patients.
A survey of hospital staff found that 96% reported increased
confidence in patient care after the program was implemented. The cost of the
necessary investments in structured oversight may be offset through reductions in
hospital length of stay.