A literacy-sensitive approach to improving antibiotic understanding in a community-based setting

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Health Education

Background:

• Antibiotic misuse fuels antibiotic-resistant infections, with patient behavior being a key factor.
• Previous research has primarily focused on prescriber behavior, overlooking the patient's role in antibiotic use.
• Understanding and improving patient knowledge is crucial for effective antibiotic stewardship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a program aimed at enhancing patient knowledge regarding appropriate antibiotic use.
• To assess the impact of patient education on antibiotic knowledge within a community setting.
• To investigate the potential association between health literacy and knowledge of proper antibiotic use.

Main Methods:

• Development and deployment of community-based educational seminars focused on antibiotic use.
• Evaluation of the seminars' effectiveness in enhancing patient knowledge through pre- and post-testing.
• Analysis of knowledge index scores to measure improvements in understanding.

Main Results:

• Twenty-eight participants completed the educational seminars across five locations.
• A statistically significant increase in the antibiotic knowledge index score was observed (P = 0.0011).
• The average knowledge score improved from 10.95 to 12.95 on a 14-point scale for participants completing both tests.

Conclusions:

• Community-based educational seminars are an effective strategy for increasing patient knowledge about antibiotic use.
• Enhanced patient understanding can contribute to improved antibiotic stewardship and reduce inappropriate antibiotic consumption.
• Patient education plays a vital role in combating the public health threat of antibiotic resistance.