Ms Jagroop (Jay) Kaur1, A/Professor Craig Aboltins1, Ms Aurelie Abasolo1
1Northern Health, Epping, Australia
Biography:
With over 15 years' experience, Jay holds a Master of Nursing. Jay has Worked in medical-surgical areas, community health, aged care, and Local public health Unit. I am committed to Infection Prevention and Control since 2019 as Clinical Nurse Consultant. I believe in power of continuous learning and collaboration.
Abstract:
Problem
Non-adherence to antimicrobial therapy remains a critical barrier in the effective treatment of infectious diseases and contributing to prolonged illness, avoidable hospitalisations and increasing antimicrobial resistance. Factors such as medication side effects, inadequate follow-up, and lack of patient education contribute to treatment failure the development of antimicrobial resistance. At Northern Health, a growing number of complex infectious disease cases underscored the need for enhanced outpatient monitoring and support to ensure patients completed their prescribed therapies safely and effectively.
Response
In 2022, a novel Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC) role, within the Infectious Diseases (ID) department, was established aimed at supporting patient engagement, compliance and follow-up. Operating as a nurse-led service, primarily through telehealth, the CNC provides expert clinical support to patients on antimicrobial therapy aimed at improving compliance with complex regimens and reduced physician review frequency. The service incorporates a structured workflow including a dedicated phone line, email to conduct triage, education, regular monitoring, and escalation to ID physicians.
Results
In 2024, the CNC team received 254 referrals primarily for urinary tract infections, orthopaedic infections, and mycobacterial diseases. The main reasons for referral were adherence monitoring (60%) and side effect surveillance (84%). More than a quarter of patients experienced mild to moderate side effects and benefitted from early CNC intervention.
Conclusion and Lesson Learnt
The CNC-led infectious disease telehealth service has demonstrated significant improvements in antimicrobial adherence, improving patient outcomes and early intervention to minimise complications and reduce harm associated with antimicrobial therapy.