Characterizing approaches used to display antimicrobial resistance data in veterinary and human medicine: a scoping...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a complex One Health problem that requires continuous surveillance to minimize the potential hazards. Information must be disseminated promptly in easily understandable formats to support informed decisions and actions by data end-users. One way to address this is through real-time visualizations, such as dashboards, to help key interest-holders understand and monitor AMR. A scoping review was conducted to understand the current body of evidence surrounding real-time AMR visualizations in both veterinary and human health.

Twelve sources were searched for relevant citations. 1763 citations were included in the screening process. Citations were screened for four main criteria: (i) the text had to be a primary research article in English (ii) published between 1990 and 2023, and (iii) it had to discuss the methodology of an AMR display (iv) that was updated at least quarterly.

Forty-two publications were identified as relevant. Publication information, information about the data used in the described displays, display information, and user information were charted. Publications were from 25 countries and utilized data from over 40 databases. Various bacterial genera and species were reported; the most common bacterial species were Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Displays were most focused mainly on human data.

AMR data visualization has been implemented globally and is a critical component of continued AMR surveillance. Displays are often part of a larger surveillance system. A key challenge is designing a visualization for an intended audience and the information then being utilized by that audience.