Antimicrobial stewardship: a definition with a One Health perspective

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is a commonly advocated approach to address antimicrobial resistance. However, AMS is often defined in different ways depending on where it is applied, such that a range of definitions is now in use. These definitions may be functional and well-structured for a given context but are often ill-adapted for collaborative work, creating difficulties for intersectoral communication on AMS and complicating the design, implementation, and evaluation of AMS interventions from a One Health perspective. Using boundary object theory, we identified three key elements common to AMS in different settings in the human and animal health sectors—a sense of collective and temporal responsibility, flexibility in scale and scope, and contextual contingency. Based on these findings, we propose a definition for antimicrobial stewardship applicable to the human and animal health sectors, intended to facilitate intersectoral communication and cooperation. Further directions of this work could include the application of the definition to develop indicators for evaluating stewardship interventions and the extension of the definition to incorporate elements pertinent to plant and ecosystem health.