Exploring the Antimicrobial Stewardship Educational Needs of Healthcare Students and the Potential of an Antimicrobial Prescribing App as an Educational Tool in Selected African Countries
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat and one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity. AMR contributes to 700,000 deaths annually and more deaths, as many as 10 million are projected to happen by 2050. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) activities have been importa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Antibiotics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/11/5/691 |
| _version_ | 1827670745069649920 |
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| author | Omotola Ogunnigbo Maxencia Nabiryo Moses Atteh Eric Muringu Olatunde James Olaitan Victoria Rutter Diane Ashiru-Oredope |
| author_facet | Omotola Ogunnigbo Maxencia Nabiryo Moses Atteh Eric Muringu Olatunde James Olaitan Victoria Rutter Diane Ashiru-Oredope |
| author_sort | Omotola Ogunnigbo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat and one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity. AMR contributes to 700,000 deaths annually and more deaths, as many as 10 million are projected to happen by 2050. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) activities have been important in combating the ripple effects of AMR and several concerted efforts have been taken to address the issues of antimicrobial resistance. The Commonwealth Pharmacists Association through the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) programme has been enhancing the capacity of health institutions in Low-Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) to combat AMR. Through such efforts, an antimicrobial prescribing app (CwPAMS app) was launched and delivered to support antimicrobial prescribing and improve AMS practice in four African countries; Ghana, Uganda, Zambia, and Tanzania. The app provides easy access to infection management resources to improve appropriate use of antimicrobials in line with national and international guidelines. This study aimed to identify and explore the potential for the usability of the CwPAMS app among healthcare students across selected African countries that are part of the Commonwealth. The study equally evaluated the healthcare students’ understanding and attitudes towards antimicrobial resistance and stewardship. Despite 70% of the respondents indicating that they had been taught about prudent use of antibiotics, diagnosis of infections and their management using antibiotics in their universities, notable knowledge gaps were discovered: 52.2% of the respondents had no prior information on the term AMS, 50.6% of them reported a lack of resources for accessing up-to-date information on drugs, for instance only 36% had had an opportunity to access an app as a learning resource even when 70% of the respondents thought that a mobile app would support in increasing their knowledge. Those challenges reveal an opportunity for the CwPAMS App as a potential option to address AMR and AMS gaps among healthcare students. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:27:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7e5ae60d17e34333b2123e9dbcb77f24 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-6382 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:27:22Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antibiotics |
| spelling | doaj.art-7e5ae60d17e34333b2123e9dbcb77f242023-11-23T09:49:46ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822022-05-0111569110.3390/antibiotics11050691Exploring the Antimicrobial Stewardship Educational Needs of Healthcare Students and the Potential of an Antimicrobial Prescribing App as an Educational Tool in Selected African CountriesOmotola Ogunnigbo0Maxencia Nabiryo1Moses Atteh2Eric Muringu3Olatunde James Olaitan4Victoria Rutter5Diane Ashiru-Oredope6Commonwealth Pharmacists Association, London E1W 1AW, UKCommonwealth Pharmacists Association, London E1W 1AW, UKGrand Erie District School Board, Brantford, ON N3T 5V3, CanadaPharmaceutical Society of Kenya, Hurlingham, Jabavu Lane, Nairobi P.O. Box 44290-00100, KenyaDepartment of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye P.O. Box 2002, NigeriaCommonwealth Pharmacists Association, London E1W 1AW, UKCommonwealth Pharmacists Association, London E1W 1AW, UKAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat and one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity. AMR contributes to 700,000 deaths annually and more deaths, as many as 10 million are projected to happen by 2050. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) activities have been important in combating the ripple effects of AMR and several concerted efforts have been taken to address the issues of antimicrobial resistance. The Commonwealth Pharmacists Association through the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) programme has been enhancing the capacity of health institutions in Low-Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) to combat AMR. Through such efforts, an antimicrobial prescribing app (CwPAMS app) was launched and delivered to support antimicrobial prescribing and improve AMS practice in four African countries; Ghana, Uganda, Zambia, and Tanzania. The app provides easy access to infection management resources to improve appropriate use of antimicrobials in line with national and international guidelines. This study aimed to identify and explore the potential for the usability of the CwPAMS app among healthcare students across selected African countries that are part of the Commonwealth. The study equally evaluated the healthcare students’ understanding and attitudes towards antimicrobial resistance and stewardship. Despite 70% of the respondents indicating that they had been taught about prudent use of antibiotics, diagnosis of infections and their management using antibiotics in their universities, notable knowledge gaps were discovered: 52.2% of the respondents had no prior information on the term AMS, 50.6% of them reported a lack of resources for accessing up-to-date information on drugs, for instance only 36% had had an opportunity to access an app as a learning resource even when 70% of the respondents thought that a mobile app would support in increasing their knowledge. Those challenges reveal an opportunity for the CwPAMS App as a potential option to address AMR and AMS gaps among healthcare students.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/11/5/691antimicrobial resistanceCwPAMSprescribing appantimicrobial surveillanceantibioticsantimicrobials |
| spellingShingle | Omotola Ogunnigbo Maxencia Nabiryo Moses Atteh Eric Muringu Olatunde James Olaitan Victoria Rutter Diane Ashiru-Oredope Exploring the Antimicrobial Stewardship Educational Needs of Healthcare Students and the Potential of an Antimicrobial Prescribing App as an Educational Tool in Selected African Countries Antibiotics antimicrobial resistance CwPAMS prescribing app antimicrobial surveillance antibiotics antimicrobials |
| title | Exploring the Antimicrobial Stewardship Educational Needs of Healthcare Students and the Potential of an Antimicrobial Prescribing App as an Educational Tool in Selected African Countries |
| title_full | Exploring the Antimicrobial Stewardship Educational Needs of Healthcare Students and the Potential of an Antimicrobial Prescribing App as an Educational Tool in Selected African Countries |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the Antimicrobial Stewardship Educational Needs of Healthcare Students and the Potential of an Antimicrobial Prescribing App as an Educational Tool in Selected African Countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the Antimicrobial Stewardship Educational Needs of Healthcare Students and the Potential of an Antimicrobial Prescribing App as an Educational Tool in Selected African Countries |
| title_short | Exploring the Antimicrobial Stewardship Educational Needs of Healthcare Students and the Potential of an Antimicrobial Prescribing App as an Educational Tool in Selected African Countries |
| title_sort | exploring the antimicrobial stewardship educational needs of healthcare students and the potential of an antimicrobial prescribing app as an educational tool in selected african countries |
| topic | antimicrobial resistance CwPAMS prescribing app antimicrobial surveillance antibiotics antimicrobials |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/11/5/691 |
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