OBJECTIVES:  Research has suggested that appropriateness of antimicrobial use could be improved within outpatient hemodialysis clinics. Given the need to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing patterns, this research aims to evaluate the costs and outcomes associated with an ongoing educational intervention on antimicrobial use. METHODS:  The decision analytic model, built in Microsoft Excel 2010, tested a range of assumptions regarding the impact of the educational program on appropriate infection treatment behaviors. Mean event probabilities (i.e., meets criteria for empiric treatment, confirmation of infection, and adjustment of continuous dose) were taken from literature. Antimicrobial regimens were based on standard empiric and continuous doses from clinical practice; costing inputs were taken from REDBOOK™. RESULTS:  A cost-consequence analysis was conducted for two groups: "no education" and "with education". In the base case, the educational program was assumed to be 30% more efficacious than no education. As such, there were higher probabilities of: 1) patients who do not meet criteria for suspected infection not receiving empiric treatment; 2) treatment modification upon laboratory confirmation of the infection; and 3) discontinuation of antimicrobials when the suspected infection was not confirmed. Therefore, in a dialysis clinic with 100 patients, the intervention was associated with a total reduction of more than 30 empiric and continuous antimicrobial doses over 12 months, for cost savings of $1,644 per year. Furthermore, if the educational program was 100% effective (i.e., treatment with antibiotics always followed best practices and there was a 0% probability of inappropriate antimicrobial usage), then there would be ~87 fewer annual antimicrobial doses and a net cost savings of $3,923 per year. CONCLUSIONS:  Implementing an educational program to encourage antimicrobial prescribing best practices is a viable strategy to reduce unwarranted treatment and is associated with cost savings due to averted inappropriate treatment with antimicrobials.