Bill Overview
Title: STAAR Act
Description: This bill expands various initiatives to address antimicrobial resistance. The bill reestablishes the interagency Antimicrobial Resistance Task Force to coordinate and develop efforts addressing antimicrobial resistance. The Department of Health and Human Services must encourage health care facilities to implement antimicrobial stewardship programs to evaluate and improve the use of antimicrobial drugs. The bill also requires the use of the National Healthcare Safety Network and similar surveillance systems to collect and report data about the usage of antimicrobial drugs, changes in resistance to such drugs, and other trends impacting patient outcomes. Additionally, the bill increases nationwide efforts to monitor, research, and prevent the spread of infection from resistant organisms by establishing the Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance and Laboratory Network in at least seven geographic regions, maintaining the Clinical Trials Network on Antimicrobial Resistance to conduct clinical research, and requiring collaboration with state and local agencies that support health care facilities that focus on preventing the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Sponsors: Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-7]
Target Audience
Population: People worldwide at risk of antimicrobial-resistant infections
Estimated Size: 100000000
- Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health issue, affecting people worldwide due to increased risk of untreatable infections.
- The establishment of surveillance and laboratory networks helps in tracking antimicrobial resistance trends across different regions.
- The bill impacts health care providers and facilities as they are encouraged to implement antimicrobial stewardship programs.
- Patients receiving care in health facilities with antimicrobial stewardship programs are directly affected as their treatment regimens may change based on updated guidelines.
- The general population benefits indirectly as reduced antimicrobial resistance can result in fewer healthcare-associated infections.
Reasoning
- The population directly impacted includes healthcare professionals and patients, indirectly affecting the general public who rely on effective antimicrobials.
- The policy budget constraints imply focusing on key surveillance regions and high-impact healthcare facilities initially.
- The STAAR Act aims to reduce infections, thus improving healthcare outcomes and potentially improving the wellbeing of patients and healthcare workers.
- The impact on wellbeing will vary among individuals, with healthcare workers seeing procedural changes and patients potentially experiencing improved health outcomes.
- Given the budget, implementation scale, and nature of antimicrobial resistance, most affected persons are healthcare-associated.
Simulated Interviews
Infectious Disease Specialist (New York, NY)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The STAAR Act is crucial for coordinated national efforts against resistant bacteria.
- I'm hopeful that with increased research, we can manage infections more effectively.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 4 |
Software Engineer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Though not in healthcare, I support policies fighting antimicrobial resistance.
- Better monitoring and research may reduce infections for people like me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 3 |
Hospital Administrator (Chicago, IL)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Implementing the STAAR Act is challenging but necessary.
- Estimating the direct improvement in patient outcomes will justify the costs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
Retired (Dallas, TX)
Age: 63 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy gives me hope that future infections will be treatable.
- I wish such actions were taken sooner to prevent my past struggles.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 2 |
Nurse (Birmingham, AL)
Age: 28 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The STAAR Act should make my job easier by reducing infection rates.
- I'm concerned about the additional workload due to new protocols.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
College Student (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 22 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I believe in prevention-focused healthcare policies like the STAAR Act.
- As a future scientist, this kind of policy aligns with my career interests.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Freelancer (Miami, FL)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's good to know efforts are being made to combat resistance.
- I hope hospitals nearby improve their safety protocols.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Retired Nurse (Seattle, WA)
Age: 65 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having seen the effects firsthand, I support the STAAR Act's initiatives.
- Antimicrobial resistance is a fight we all need to be aware of.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
Pharmaceutical Researcher (Boston, MA)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The STAAR Act provides data crucial for developing better antibiotics.
- My work will benefit from enhanced lab networks.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Public Health Official (Denver, CO)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Balancing federal policy with state needs will be challenging.
- I'm optimistic that this will reduce healthcare costs by preventing resistant infections.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $500000000 (Low: $400000000, High: $600000000)
Year 2: $500000000 (Low: $400000000, High: $600000000)
Year 3: $500000000 (Low: $400000000, High: $600000000)
Year 5: $500000000 (Low: $400000000, High: $600000000)
Year 10: $-1 (Low: $-1, High: $-1)
Year 100: $-1 (Low: $-1, High: $-1)
Key Considerations
- The policy requires coordination across various federal, state, and local agencies which might complicate implementation.
- Long-term funding and commitment are crucial to sustain the initiatives proposed in the bill.
- Potential resistance from healthcare providers due to the operational changes needed in antimicrobial stewardship programs.
- Monitoring and measuring the effectiveness of the initiatives is critical to justify ongoing investment.