PhD defense Hester Stoorvogel

Patients who need antibiotics by infusion can now receive this treatment at home (OPAT), rather than during hospitalization. OPAT is safe and less expensive than hospitalization, but there is insufficient knowledge about how to increase the quality of OPAT care. This dissertation presents a method to investigate for which infections existing antibiotics can be used. In addition, it shows that an OPAT team in a hospital can help organize OPAT care, but that barriers such as lack of money exist. Furthermore, characteristics that influence patient and caregiver administration of OPAT are described, which may help to understand why patients want to self-administer OPAT or not. In addition, it was discovered that laboratory abnormalities were common during OPAT, and that certain characteristics predicted these side effects. The number of blood draws to find these side effects can be adjusted for each patient. The results can be used to improve the quality of OPAT care.

On Monday 30 June 2025 at 16:30h, Hester Stoorvogel will defend her thesis entitled ‘Quality of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy: From antimicrobial choice to patient follow-up’.

Promotors are prof. dr. M.E.J. L. Hulscher and prof. dr. H.F.L. Wertheim. Copromotors are dr. J. ten Oever and dr. J.A. Schouten.