P06 Drip, drip, hooray! - A deep dive into outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy awareness at an Irish university hospital

Sep 29, 2026

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) allows safe IV antimicrobials in the community, shortening hospital stays and strengthening antimicrobial stewardship, yet awareness and implementation vary by institution. This cross-sectional anonymized September 2025 survey at an Irish university teaching hospital assessed OPAT awareness, familiarity, confidence, and perceived barriers among diverse healthcare professional groups. Of 800 contacted staff, 74 responded, showing high reported benefits recognition and generally strong attitudes toward further formal training, while referral pathway clarity and patient-selection confidence remained key limitations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Objectives

Methods

Results

Awareness and prior use

Perceived benefits and confidence

Barriers and training needs

Conclusions

Posters Abstract citation ID: dlaf239.010 P06 Drip, drip, hooray! A deep dive into outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy awareness at an Irish university hospital Mubashir Habib1, James Lalor O Neill1, Kate Moran1, Ashwin Delmonte Sen1, Sinead Fenlon1, Aoife Pearson1, Sarmad Waqas1,2 1Infectious Diseases Department, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; 2Clinical Medicine TUH, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland Background: Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) enables safe administration of IV antimicrobials in the community, reducing hospital stay and improving antimicrobial stewardship. However, awareness and implementation can be variable across different institutions. Objectives: This study aimed to assess awareness, familiarity, and conﬁdence regarding OPAT protocols amongst healthcare professionals in a university hospital, and to identify perceived barriers to OPAT utilization. Methods: A cross-sectional, anonymized study was conducted in September 2025 among staff at an Irish university teaching hospital following approval from the Quality Improvement (QI) department (ID: 5479) . Data was collected using a structured questionnaire administered online. Participants included consultants, registrars, senior house ofﬁcers , interns, and various grades of nurses. The questionnaire assessed OPAT awareness, perceived beneﬁts and contraindications, knowledge of governance, conﬁdence in OPAT assessment, and participant’s perceived need for further training. Results: A questionnaire was sent to 800 healthcare professionals, of whom 136 opened the link and 74 responded. The composition of respondents was: consultants 16%(n= 12), registrars 22%(n= 16), clinical nurse managers 22%(n=16), senior house ofﬁcers 15%(n= 11), interns 16%(n=12), and others (including nurse practitioners) 9%(n=7) . Most respondents (46%, n=34) had more than 10 years of healthcare experience, with 18%(n=13) reporting 6–10 years, 20%(n= 15) 1–5 years, and 16%(n= 12) less than 1 year. Overall, 62%(n=45) had previously used Posters OPAT, while 36%(n=26) were aware of OPAT but had never used it, and 3%(n=2) were not aware of OPAT. The infectious diseases team was correctly identiﬁed asthe OPAT service’s clinical governance speciality by 82%(n=58) of respondents. The most frequently perceived beneﬁts of OPAT were reduced hospital stay (99%, n= 72), improved patient comfort (97%, n= 71), reduced healthcare-associated infection risk (92%, n=67), cost savings (89%, n=65), and improved treatment compliance (79%, n= 58) . Conﬁdence in identifying OPAT-appropriate patients was variable: 19%(n= 14) reported being very conﬁdent, 61%(n=44) somewhat conﬁdent, and 19%(n= 14) not conﬁdent. Among non-users or those only aware of OPAT (n=37), barriers included unclear referral pathways (30%, n=11), previous bad experiences (8%, n=3), and availability of alternative outpatient antibiotic pathways (11%, n=4), while 51%(n=19) reported other or no barriers. A large majority (85%, n=63) felt that additional formal OPAT training would be beneﬁcial. Participants were provided with correct answers at the end of the questionnaire, so the survey also functioned as both an assessment of awareness as well as an educational tool. Conclusions: Awareness of OPAT was high among healthcare professionals in our institution, with strong recognition of its clinical and economic beneﬁts. However, conﬁdence in patient selection and uncertainty regarding referral pathways were identiﬁed as barriers to wider adoption. Many respondents felt that more formal OPAT training is needed. These ﬁndings will inform future OPAT programme expansion and education strategies.

FAQs

What was the study’s main objective regarding OPAT?

The study aimed to assess awareness, familiarity, and confidence about OPAT protocols among healthcare professionals and to identify perceived barriers to OPAT utilization.

How was the survey conducted and who participated?

A cross-sectional anonymized questionnaire was administered online in September 2025 after Quality Improvement approval. Participants included consultants, registrars, senior house officers, interns, and various grades of nurses.

What barriers to OPAT adoption were most commonly reported?

Among non-users and those aware but not using OPAT, the main barriers were unclear referral pathways and other factors, including previous bad experiences and availability of alternative outpatient antibiotic pathways.

What did the conclusions identify as key opportunities for improvement?

OPAT awareness was high and benefits were well recognized, but confidence in patient selection and uncertainty about referral pathways were barriers, supporting the need for additional formal OPAT training and education to enable wider adoption.

Sep 29, 2026

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