Educational antimicrobial stewardship programs in medical schools: a scoping review protocol

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pharmacology
• Public Health

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance is a growing threat to modern medicine.
• Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are crucial in mitigating resistance.
• Educating future physicians on rational antimicrobial use is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of evidence on ASPs for medical students.
• To identify the content and instructional methods used in teaching rational antimicrobial use.
• To understand the current landscape of antimicrobial stewardship education in medical schools.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review of studies in medical school curricula (1996 onwards).
• Exclusion of studies involving other health profession students.
• Systematic search of multiple databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, etc.) with a three-step process.
• Data extraction and analysis by two independent reviewers, with third-reviewer arbitration.

Main Results:

• The review will synthesize findings on the educational content of ASPs for medical students.
• It will analyze various teaching methodologies employed in these programs.
• Results will be presented in tabular and narrative formats.

Conclusions:

• Findings will inform the development of effective antimicrobial stewardship education for medical students.
• This review will highlight gaps in current evidence and guide future research.
• Enhanced education can improve rational antimicrobial prescribing and combat resistance.