The Royal Melbourne Hospital Guidance Group consists of a multi-disciplinary team of clinicians, epidemiologists, software developers, data architects and UX/UI designers who are continuously striving to develop, maintain and enhance innovative tools to support antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) initiatives. The Guidance Group is a key partner of the National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship (NCAS) and collaborator with the University of Melbourne Centre for Digital Health Transformation.
Guidance® AMS Program is a web-based antimicrobial decision support program that was first established in 2005 and re-built in 2022 with enhanced features specifically tailored to better meet the needs of clinicians. By providing evidence-based guidelines, decision support, and appropriate assessments, Guidance AMS offers a comprehensive approach to promoting the appropriate and effective usage of antimicrobials within the healthcare ecosystem.
The National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey (NAPS) serves as a standardised auditing tool that is designed to assist healthcare institution in assessing the quantity and quality of local antimicrobial prescribing. Since it’s establishment in 2013, the development and implementation of NAPS has been undertaken through an ongoing collaborative partnership between NCAS, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) and Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC). NAPS is coordinated by NCAS and administered by the Guidance Group and is a program partner in the Antimicrobial Usage and Resistance in Australia (AURA) surveillance system. The spectrum of audits offered currently includes hospital, surgical, antifungal, quality improvement and aged care. Successful pilot runs have been accomplished on a global scale, notably in countries including Bhutan, Canada, and New Zealand.
