South Korean hospitals recognized for antibiotic stewardship excellence

Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital and Bundang Seoul National University Hospital have been honored by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) for their contributions to the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) pilot project.

During a performance sharing session held in Chungcheongbuk-do, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital received a commendation for its multidisciplinary management system. The hospital utilized electronic medical records to monitor antibiotic use and implemented a ‘Handshake Stewardship’ approach to encourage medical staff participation. This resulted in an 82.8% intervention acceptance rate and a 23.8% reduction in the average duration of carbapenem administration per episode.

Bundang Seoul National University Hospital was also recognized as an excellent institution for its role in supporting the national ASP pilot and enhancing management capabilities across medical facilities. The hospital has actively shared practical experience through benchmarking programs for medical professionals and has contributed to academic research on antibiotic management. The national pilot program, which aims to reduce antibiotic resistance and improve patient safety, expanded from 78 participating institutions in its first year to 90 in its second year.