Antimicrobial Resistance Stewardship: Co-Design for Infection Prevention and Control Practices

Project Summary: Antimicrobial resistant organisms are seriously threatening our ability to treat common infections (O’Neil 2014). To help address the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and enhance the nation’s health, prudent use of antimicrobial agents and good infection prevention practice, such as hand hygiene, is crucial (NICE 2017). Health-related risk perceptions and how people respond to such risks are context dependent and need to be better understood. Therefore, intervention(s) developed with an intended behaviour change element will likely fail if the targeted audience are not involved from the outset. The exigency lies in exploring if our population has sufficient understanding of transmission pathways and the associated AMR risks before novel interventions can be co-designed. The impact is a potential to transform social behaviours: to make a significant reduction in antimicrobial resistance, enhance its stewardship among the public and prevent further spread of antimicrobial resistant organisms.

This PhD study will demonstrate possible pathways towards an enriched public understanding of AMR in everyday physical environments through codesign (Sanders, 2013). It will use one targeted site in the City of Dundee, specifically a city centre shopping mall to map and test the hotspots and, prototoype digital interactions to service the development of innovative public communication practices, both at an individual and community level. As an interdisciplinary study, it will work with design researchers, local enterprise, local services, the public and experts from the AMR medical, health and social care communities to consider future provision. Real-time data about why, when and how people take (or do not take) antimicrobial agents will be used to understand how people engage (or not) in good infection prevention practice. Finally, using the same real time data and geo-coded data, an evaluation of the interventions (in accordance with the MRC guidance for developing and evaluating complex interventions) will be undertaken.

For information on Evaluation and Criteria Guidance, Funding and Eligibility & How to Apply please click here - https://www.findaphd.com/search/PhDDetails.aspx?CAID=3380