This meta-analysis combined data from eleven randomized controlled trials to evaluate digital antimicrobial stewardship interventions. These tools included clinical decision support systems, audit and feedback platforms, and electronic prescribing tools used across a broad spectrum of healthcare settings. The researchers looked at how these digital methods affected the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions and the overall rate of antibiotic use. They also examined patient safety outcomes like mortality, hospital readmission, and length of stay within 30 days.
The analysis found no significant effect on the appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing or a reduction in the prescription rate. There was also no effect on 30-day mortality or hospital readmission. The length of hospital stay showed a small numerical change, but this was not considered a clinically meaningful difference.
The certainty of the evidence was very low for all outcomes. Limitations included high heterogeneity in interventions and study designs, as well as concerns about bias due to deviations from intended interventions in most trials. Because of these uncertainties, readers should be cautious about expecting clear benefits from these digital tools based on this evidence.