Promise vs. Proof in Digital Interventions for Antimicrobial Stewardship: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
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Background
Digital antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions, such as clinical decision support systems, audit-and-feedback platforms, and electronic prescribing tools, have been increasingly adopted to improve antibiotic use. However, the effectiveness of these interventions across healthcare settings remains uncertain, and the certainty of the evidence has not been comprehensively evaluated. The objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of digital interventions in optimizing antimicrobial use and improving clinical outcomes within a broad spectrum of healthcare settings.
Methods
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluating digital AMS interventions that followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251178854) and funded by the Wellcome Trust CAMO-Net programme. Searches were performed across major databases. Primary outcomes included the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions and the antibiotic prescription rate. Secondary outcomes included 30-day mortality, 30-day hospital readmission, and length of hospital stay (LOS). Random-effects models were used to pool effect sizes. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2.0, and certainty of evidence was rated using GRADE. A Summary of Findings table was prepared to present effect estimates, sample sizes, and evidence certainty.
Results
Eleven RCTs met the inclusion criteria, and nine were included in the quantitative synthesis. Digital AMS interventions did not show a significant effect on appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing (RR 0.99, 95%CI 0.93–1.05; very low certainty). There was no reduction in antibiotic prescription (RR 0.98, 95%CI 0.88–1.09), with substantial statistical heterogeneity (I² = 71%) and very low certainty. Across clinical outcomes, digital AMS showed no effect on 30-day mortality (RR 0.91, 95%CI 0.77–1.09; very low certainty) or 30-day readmission (RR 0.95, 95%CI 0.79–1.14; very low certainty). For LOS, results were inconsistent across studies, and the pooled effect showed no clinically meaningful change (MD 0.17 days, 95%CI –0.01 to 0.35; very low certainty). Most trials had “some concerns” of bias due to deviations from intended interventions.
Conclusion
Meta-analyses of digital AMS RCTs showed a lack of evidence with a high level of certainty on antibiotic prescribing or clinical outcomes due to high heterogeneity in interventions and study designs, as well as RCTs’ limitations (no adoption/fidelity metrics).
