Guidance for the Knowledge and Skills required for Antimicrobial Stewardship Leaders: an update from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) optimize antimicrobial use to ensure the best patient outcomes from infections. Since the initial publication of this guidance in 2014, accreditation standards have bolstered antimicrobial stewardship requirements in various healthcare settings, and antibiotic use and resistance data reporting requirements have further increased the scope and resource needs of ASPs. The purpose of this guidance is to outline and update the knowledge and skills necessary to lead ASPs, organized by basic, intermediate, and advanced skills recommended for stewards practicing in acute care, outpatient care, and long-term care settings. This update was developed by a multidisciplinary group of antimicrobial stewardship experts from key organizations and with diverse backgrounds engaged in advancing the practice of antimicrobial stewardship. It does not specifically address healthcare resources, staffing models, reporting structures, or percentage of full-time equivalents needed to conduct this work, which will be addressed by future multi-society publications.