Dr. Hannah Creager    Day 1 / Session 1
~4:00 - 5:00pm     Choosing a Test Strategy -Laboratory testing for C. diff: Why isn’t this more straightforward? 

• Describe currently available laboratory tests for C. difficile.
• Give the advantages and disadvantages of each of these tests.
• List circumstances under which C. difficile testing is or is not recommended.

Dr. Tina Khadem    Day 1 / Session 2
~5:00 - 6:00pm    Influencing Decision-Making: Learnings from Antimicrobial Stewardship - Strategies to Increase Influence: Tips from Antimicrobial Stewardship    

• Identify categories of antimicrobial therapy that increase risk of C. difficile infection and how drug characteristics and outcomes of use can impact prescribing behavior. 
• Outline approaches for implementing core and supplemental strategies of antimicrobial stewardship programs that may be extrapolated to diagnostic stewardship initiatives. 
• Discuss lessons learned from antimicrobial stewardship interventions to identify and preempt challenges and barriers to successful implementation of diagnostic stewardship initiatives.
• Describe effective antimicrobial stewardship behavior interventions to influence decision making.

Renee Lynn Smith    Day 2 / Session 1
~4:00 - 5:00pm    A World of Options: Published Interventions and Strength of Evidence - Proven Success of Diagnostic Stewardship Interventions in Decreasing Both Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) testing and Healthcare Associated C. diff    
•    Describe how embedded questions in the electronic medical record (EMR) can reduce inappropriate ordering of Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) testing
•    Recognize opportunities for education regarding proper and timely specimen collection
•    Understand the need for future improvements in diagnostic stewardship

Maddy Berg    Day 2 / Session 2
~5:00 - 6:00pm    Drawing Inference: How to be Confident Diagnostic Stewardship Works - Drawing Inference: How to be Confident Diagnostic Stewardship Works    
•    Understand how to evaluate the potential success of a C. difficile diagnostic stewardship intervention.
•    Understand how to use data to assess the benefit and harm of a diagnostic stewardship intervention.

Stephanie Faidley    Day 3 / Session 1
~4:00 - 6:00pm    Acute Care Facilities’ Interventions and Rates - Acute Care Facilities’ Interventions and Rates    
•    Understand the effect that symptom specific evaluation upon admission has on early identification of C. difficile infection 
•    Understand the effect that laboratory auto stop evaluation has on accurate identification of C. difficile infection vs colonization  

Disclaimer Statement

The information presented at this CME program represents the views and opinions of the individual presenters, and does not constitute the opinion or endorsement of, or promotion by, the UPMC Center for Continuing Education in the Health Sciences, UPMC / University of Pittsburgh Medical Center or Affiliates and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.  Reasonable efforts have been taken intending for educational subject matter to be presented in a balanced, unbiased fashion and in compliance with regulatory requirements. However, each program attendee must always use his/her own personal and professional judgment when considering further application of this information, particularly as it may relate to patient diagnostic or treatment decisions including, without limitation, FDA-approved uses and any off-label uses.