Exploring opportunities for engaging patients and final-year medical students in antimicrobial stewardship programs in hospitals in Vietnam

Funded by:

This project aimed to understand the perceptions and willingness of these groups to engage with antimicrobial stewardship programs in hospitals (AMS).

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs have been implemented to control antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by improving the antibiotic treatment of patients. However, despite being the primary, albeit indirect and/or delayed, beneficiary of AMS, patients are often not involved in the program. There is also a lack of understanding on involving medical students who will become the key players in AMS.

Project Activities

Lacking of involvement of these groups (patients/carers and medical students) occurred through group discussions.

The research team conducted 3 focus group discussions with 15 final-year medical students, 4 focus group discussions with 10 patients/caregivers, and 4 In-depth Interviews with 4 caregivers.

We also explored the feasibility of establishing and using a community advisory board (CAB) as a method for patient engagement to improve AMS programs.

Online meetings with target groups were organised to discuss the media materials being developed (videos and leaflets).

Feedback from the participants on these materials was used to finalise videos and leaflets with information for patients and carers about using antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, and antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals.

Project Outputs

We collected information about the knowledge of participants’ perceptions of AMR, individual susceptibility, self-efficacy in performing the actions, and triggers to individuals to perform the actions.

Participants showed an interest in these public engagement activities and contributed ideas to improve the materials, and how to enable them to be engaged in AMS activities. Students suggested having online training about AMS or online discussions about AMR. Patients wanted information about antibiotics and AMS activities, but they tended to have limited health literacy. Only 3 out of 14 patients/caregivers were willing to be part of a Community Advisory Board.