Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Healthcare Providers toward Antimicrobial Stewardship in Electronic Medical Record at Tertiary Health Care Hospital in Saudi Arabia

ASM Sc. J., 20(2), 2025

Published on September 17, 2025

https://doi.org/10.32802/asmscj.2025.1875

Author: Abdullah Bany Hamdan, Laila Alawdah, Tariq Wani, Aidalina Mahmud

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is considered as one of the greatest threats to global health issues, and antimicrobial stewardship programs have been implemented worldwide to combat this major threat. In Saudi Arabia, the emergence of multi-drug-resistant strains is one of the growing problems in healthcare facilities. Although there are numerous reports about antimicrobial stewardship strategies in Saudi Arabia, there is limited information known about electronic medical records (EMR) based antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) modules. This study aimed to assess healthcare providers' knowledge, attitude, and practice toward an electronic medical record-based antimicrobial stewardship module in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted using pre-designed, tested, self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included specific sections to assess the participant’s knowledge, attitude, and practices related to EMR based AMS. A total of 280 healthcare providers participated in this study. The majority of them 171 (61.1%) were females. Regarding the educational background, 152 (54.3%) of participants had a bachelor's degree. Only 128 participants (45.7%) reported being aware about the implemented antimicrobial stewardship applications within electronic medical records. Additionally, 102 (36.4%) of participants strongly agreed that having direct access to local antibiotic-related guidelines through electronic medical records will improve appropriate antibiotic use. However, only 62 (22.1%) of participants stated that they always review the hospital guidelines for recommended antibiotic choices for their patient’s condition, while 37 (13.2%) of participants said that they never do so. The knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to EMR based AMS were found to be lower than expected. A comprehensive intervention, including education and training programs for healthcare professionals, is needed to enhance their knowledge, and positively influence their attitude and practice in the hospital.

Keywords: antimicrobial stewardship, attitude, electronic medical records, knowledge, practice