Abstract
Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) can facilitate early discharge; however, not all offered OPAT can accept. We assessed factors associated with acceptance of OPAT in a large Asian tertiary hospital cohort. From 2014 to 2017, we reviewed all referrals to Singapore General Hospital’s (SGH) Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT) service. We compared differences in sociodemographic and clinical factors between patients who opted for OPAT and those who declined, using chi-square test for univariate analysis and logistic regression for multivariate analysis. From 2014 to 2017, a total of 1406 OPAT referrals were made. Of these, 95.9% (1349/1406) were deemed suitable for OPAT. Amongst those suitable, 90.0% (1213/1349) accepted OPAT treatment. On multivariate analysis, being independently ambulant (aOR = 3.46, 95%CI = 2.21–5.37) was independently associated with higher odds of acceptance for OPAT; whereas, patients with peripheral vascular disease had lower odds of accepting OPAT (aOR = 0.32, 95%CI = 0.16–0.62). Lower socioeconomic status (SES) was closely associated with rejection of OPAT, with markers of both individual-level SES (subsidized ward class) and area-level SES (staying in a public rental flat) being independently associated with lower odds of OPAT preference. Distance and travel time were not associated with OPAT acceptance. The top reasons for rejecting OPAT were lack of caregiver (n = 35), mobility issues (n = 24), financial issues (n = 24), and difficulty caring for the line (n = 21). Comorbidities, mobility, and financial issues are important factors to consider when determining suitability for OPAT. More can be done to improve accessibility of OPAT amongst lower-income patients and those staying in lower-SES areas.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Psaltikidis E, Silva E, Bustorff-Silva J, Moretti M, Resende M (2017) Economic evaluation of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy: a systematic review. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res 17(4):355–375
MacKenzie M, Rae N, Nathwani D (2014) Outcomes from global adult outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy programmes: a review of the last decade. Int J Antimicrob Agents 43(1):7–16
Mitchell E, Czoski MC, Meads D, Minton J, Wright J, Twiddy M (2017) Clinical and cost-effectiveness, safety and acceptability of community intravenous antibiotic service models: CIVAS systematic review. BMJ Open 7(4):e013560
Conant M, Erdman S, Osterholzer D (2014) Mandatory infectious diseases approval of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT): clinical and economic outcomes of averted cases. J Antimicrob Chemother 69(6):1695–1700
Heintz B, Halilovic J, Christensen C (2011) Impact of a multidisciplinary team review of potential outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy prior to discharge from an academic medical center. Ann Pharmacother 45(11):1329–1337
Fisher D, Michaels J, Hase R, Zhang J, Kataria S, Sim B et al (2017) Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) in Asia: missing an opportunity. J Antimicrob Chemother 72(4):1221–1226
Fisher D (2017) OPAT in Asia. Int J Antimicrob Agents 50(S2):10–28
Chan M, Ooi C, Wong J, Zhong L, Lye D (2017) Role of outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy in the treatment of community acquired skin and soft tissue infections in Singapore. BMC Infect Dis 17(1):474
Fisher D, Kurup A, Lye D, Tambyah P, Sulaiman Z, Poon E et al (2006) Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy in Singapore. Int J Antimicrob Agents 28(6):545–560
Yong C, Fisher D, Sklar G, Li S (2009) A cost analysis of outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT): an Asian perspective. Int J Antimicrob Agents 33(1):46–51
Trad M, Zhong L, Llorin R, Tan S, Chan M, Archuleta S et al (2017) Ertapenem in outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy for complicated urinary tract infections. J Chemother 29(1):25–29
Ingram P, Sulaiman Z, Chua A, Fisher D (2007) Comment on: outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT): is it safe for selected patients to self-administer at home? A retrospective analysis of a large cohort over 13 years. J Antimicrob Chemother 61(1):226–227
Seetoh T, Lye D, Cook A, Archuleta S, Chan M, Sulaiman Z et al (2013) An outcomes analysis of outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) in a large Asian cohort. Int J Antimicrob Agents 41(6):569–573
Matthews P, Conlon C, Berendt A, Kayley J, Jefferies L, Atkins B et al (2007) Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT): is it safe for selected patients to self-administer at home? A retrospective analysis of a large cohort over 13 years. J Antimicrob Chemother 60(2):356–362
Lim M (2005) Transforming Singapore health care: public-private partnership. Ann Acad Med Singap 34(7):461–467
von Eiff W, Massoro T, Voo Y, Ziegenbein R (2002) Medical savings accounts: a core feature of Singapore's health care system. Eur J Health Econ 3(3):188–195
Ministry of Health S. Medisave Withdrawal Limits Singapore: Government of Singapore; 2017 [Available from: https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/costs_and_financing/schemes_subsidies/medisave/Withdrawal_Limits.html
Chan C, Lee K, Low L (2018) A systematic review of health status, health seeking behaviour and healthcare utilisation of low socioeconomic status populations in urban Singapore. Int J Equity Health 17(1):39
Ingram PR, Sulaiman Z, Chua A, Fisher DA (2008) Comment on: Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT): is it safe for selected patients to self-administer at home? A retrospective analysis of a large cohort over 13 years. J Antimicrob Chemother 61(1):226–227
OneMap. OneMap Singapore: Introduction Singapore: OneMap Singapore; 2017 [Available from: https://docs.onemap.sg/#introduction
Gilchrist M, Franklin B, Patel J (2008) An outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) map to identify risks associated with an OPAT service. J Antimicrob Chemother 62(1):177–183
Nolet B (1998) Patient selection in outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy. Infect Dis Clin N Am 12(4):835–847
Hodgson K, Huynh J, Ibrahim L, Sacks B, Golshevsky D, Layley M et al (2016) The use, appropriateness and outcomes of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy. Arch Dis Child 101(10):886–893
Subedi S, Looke D, McDougall D, Sehu M, Playford E (2015) Supervised self-administration of outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy: a report from a large tertiary hospital in Australia. Int J Infect Dis 30:161–165
Mirón-Rubio M, González-Ramallo V, Estrada-Cuxart O, Sanroma-Mendizábal P, Segado-Soriano A, Mujal-Martínez A et al (2016) Intravenous antimicrobial therapy in the hospital-at-home setting: data from the Spanish outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy registry. Future Microbiol 11(3):375–390
Low L, Vasanwala F, Ng L, Chen C, Lee K, Tan S (2015) Effectiveness of a transitional home care program in reducing acute hospital utilization: a quasi-experimental study. BMC Health Serv Res 15(100)
Low L, Tan S, Ng M, Tay W, Ng L, Balasubramaniam K et al (2017) Applying the integrated practice unit concept to a modified virtual ward model of care for patients at highest risk of readmission: a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One 12(1):e0168757
Department of Statistics Singapore. Home Ownership Rate of Resident Households 2015 [updated 2015. Available from: http://www.singstat.gov.sg/statistics/visualising-data/charts/home-ownership-rate-of-resident-households
Housing & Development Board Singapore. Rents & Deposits 2013 [updated 15 May 2013. Available from: http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10323p.nsf/w/RentDirectHDBRentDeposit?OpenDocument
Wee L, Koh G, Yeo W, Chin R, Wong J, Seow B (2013) Screening for cardiovascular disease risk factors in an urban low-income setting at baseline and post intervention: a prospective intervention study. Eur J Prev Cardiol 20(1):176–188
Wee L, Koh G, Chin R, Yeo W, Seow B, Chua D (2012) Socioeconomic factors affecting colorectal, breast and cervical cancer screening in an Asian urban low-income setting at baseline and post-intervention. Prev Med 55(1):61–67
Ministry of Health S. Extending the use of Medisave. Singapore.: Government of Singapore. 2002 [Available from: https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/pressRoom/pressRoomItemRelease/2002/extending_the_use_of_medisave.html
Ministry of Health S. Healthcare cost inflation Singapore: Government of Singapore. 2018 [Available from: https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/pressRoom/Parliamentary_QA/2018/healthcare-cost-inflation-.html
Ministry of Health S. Medisave uses and withdrawa. 2017
Lim A. New Flexi-Medisave scheme: what it can and cannot be used for. Straits Times. 2015 Jan 12th 2015
Nolet B (2010) Update and overview of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy regulations and reimbursement. Clinical Infect Dis 51(S2):S216–S219
Marra C, Frighetto L, Goodfellow A, Wai A, Chase M, Nicol R et al (2005) Willingness to pay to assess patient preferences for therapy in a Canadian setting. BMC Health Serv Res 7(5):43
Joynt Maddox K, Orav E, Zheng J, Epstein A (2018) Evaluation of Medicare’s bundled payments initiative for medical conditions. N Engl J Med 379(3):260–269
Madaline T, Nori P, Mowrey W, Zukowski E, Gohil S, Sarwar U et al (2017) Bundle in the Bronx: impact of a transition-of-care outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy bundle on all-cause 30-day hospital readmissions. Open Forum Infect Dis 4(2) ofx097
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
This study involved human participants and was approved by the Singhealth Institutional Review Board (IRB) (approval number: CIRB 2014/151/F). Approval for retrospective analysis of patient data was obtained from the Singhealth IRB.
Informed consent
Waiver of informed consent for retrospective analysis of patient data was obtained from the Singhealth IRB.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wee, L.E., Sundarajoo, M., Quah, WF. et al. Sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with acceptance of outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy in a Singapore tertiary hospital from 2014 to 2017. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 38, 277–284 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-018-3424-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-018-3424-2