Investigating the Effect of Hospital Infection Control Informatization on Optimizing Microbiological Specimen Submission Before Antibiotic Therapy: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis

This study examined how hospitals can improve microbiological testing before starting antibiotics, a key element of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). Researchers used Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) at a tertiary hospital in China to identify weaknesses in the specimen-submission workflow, including technology failures, limited clinical decision support, low clinician awareness, and patient-related barriers.

Targeted digital interventions were introduced, such as barcode verification, AI-driven clinical decision support alerts, EHR-integrated training, and automated compliance dashboards. After implementation, the rate of specimens submitted before antibiotic treatment increased significantly, including for restricted and special-use antibiotics.

The study shows that combining systematic risk analysis with hospital digital tools can substantially improve diagnostic workflows and support more responsible antibiotic use, offering a scalable model to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship programs.