About the Surveillance and Screening of AROs (Antimicrobial Resistant Organisms) Consensus Development Conference

18 – 20 June 2014
Calgary, Alberta

The 3-day Canadian Consensus Development Conference on Surveillance & Screening for Antimicrobial-Resistant Organisms (AROs) held in Calgary, Alberta from June 18 – 20, 2014, was the first event of its kind to look at issues in the field of AROs.

Download Consensus Statement

The Consensus Conference model is an exciting format, geared to creating maximum impact on real-world clinical policy and practice. Leading experts from Canada, the US, and other countries addressed a wide range of issues, including:

1. Overview - What are AROs? What burden do they impose on patients and the health system? Why does control of AROs vary so much?
2. Surveillance - Why should we conduct surveillance? What outcomes do we want, and are we achieving them?
3. Screening - What is appropriate screening for AROs in various settings? Should we screen for AROs? Pro versus Con: How should screening link to surveillance?
4. Ethical and policy implications - What are the impacts of screening on patients and others? Can screening do harm? What is the economic cost/benefit of screening? What responsibility do patients, the public, and health care professionals have to ensure responsible stewardship of antimicrobials and other health care resources?
5. What factors can facilitate or hinder effective ARO control in practice? - Organizational and cultural factors; Lab capacity.
6. Research/Evidence - What are the most important gaps in our knowledge? How should we evaluate ARO screening in the future? What are the barriers to effective research and what strategies can address them?

A Consensus Statement was released by the Jury on 20 June 2014 at the conclusion of the Canadian Consensus Development Conference on Surveillance & Screening for Antimicrobial-Resistant Organisms (AROs). The Jury, Chaired by Dr. Tom Marrie, Dean of Medicine at Dalhousie University, was tasked with summarizing the evidence presented at the conference and making recommendations for policy and practice.

This was the 6th Consensus Development Conference organized by IHE since 2006. The conference was funded by the Government of Alberta.

Related Consensus Development Conferences

• Volume 7 - Improving Mental Health Transitions – November 4-6, 2014
• Volume 6 - Surveillane and Screening of AROs – June 18-20, 2014
• Volume 5 - Legal Issues of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder – September 18-20, 2013
• Volume 4 - FASD - Across the Lifespan – October 7-9, 2009
• Volume 3 - Depression in Adults – October 15-17, 2008
• Volume 2 - Healthy Mothers - Healthy Babies – April 23-25, 2007
• Volume 1 - Self-Monitoring in Diabetes – November 14-16, 2006