PLoS Medicine Issue Image | Vol. 23(8) September 2026
Abstract
As antimicrobial resistance continues to challenge health systems worldwide, improving access to evidence-based prescribing guidance is a key component of antimicrobial stewardship, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In this stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial conducted between 2021 and 2022, Vilada Chansamouth and colleagues assessed whether delivering Laos’ 2021 national antimicrobial prescribing guidelines through a smartphone application, alongside stewardship training, influenced prescribing adherence compared with paper-based guidelines. Across six hospitals, adjusted analyses found no significant difference in adherence between the two delivery methods. The findings indicate that smartphone technology can broaden access to prescribing guidance, while underscoring that guideline adherence is shaped by multiple factors beyond availability alone.
Related
BibTeX
@article{anon2026plos,
title = {{PLoS Medicine Issue Image | Vol. 23(8) September 2026}},
journal = {PLoS Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/image.pmed.v23.i08},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/image.pmed.v23.i08},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - PLoS Medicine Issue Image | Vol. 23(8) September 2026
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/15
JO - PLoS Medicine
DO - 10.1371/image.pmed.v23.i08
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/image.pmed.v23.i08
AB - As antimicrobial resistance continues to challenge health systems worldwide, improving access to evidence-based prescribing guidance is a key component of antimicrobial stewardship, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In this stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial conducted between 2021 and 2022, Vilada Chansamouth and colleagues assessed whether delivering Laos’ 2021 national antimicrobial prescribing guidelines through a smartphone application, alongside stewardship training, influenced prescribing adherence compared with paper-based guidelines. Across six hospitals, adjusted analyses found no significant difference in adherence between the two delivery methods. The findings indicate that smartphone technology can broaden access to prescribing guidance, while underscoring that guideline adherence is shaped by multiple factors beyond availability alone.
SN - 1549-1676
ER -