ADVANCING STEWARDSHIP APPROACHES
Theme lead: Professor Sarah Tonkin-Crine (University of Oxford)
Theme co-lead: Professor Diane Ashiru-Oredope (UKHSA)
Key researchers
• Professor Gail Hayward, Professor of Primary Care, Oxford University, Director, NIHR Community HealthTech Research Centre.
• Dr Donna Lecky, Head, Primary Care & Interventions Unit, UKHSA.
• Dr Kerrie Davies, Principal Clinical Scientist, HCAI Research Group, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.
• Dr Jane Freeman Associate Prof, HCAI Research Group, Leeds University; NHS England Clinical Lead.
• Professor Chris Butler, Professor of Primary Care, Oxford University, Lead Primary Care Infections Respiratory and Acute Care (IRAC) Group, Director Primary Care and Vaccines Clinical Trials Unit.
• Professor Mark Wilcox, OBE, Professor of Microbiology, HCAI Research Group, Leeds University, Medical Advisor, NHS Improvement on HCAI.
• Dr Marta Wanat, Senior Researcher, Infections Respiratory and Acute Care, Primary Care Health Sciences, Oxford University.
• Dr Phuong Hua, Senior Researcher, Infections Respiratory and Acute Care, Primary Care Health Sciences, Oxford University.
• Dr Clare Clement, Senior Researcher, Infections Respiratory and Acute Care, Primary Care Health • Sciences, Oxford University.
• Dr Tori Ford, Research Fellow, Infections Respiratory and Acute Care, Primary Care Health Sciences, Oxford University.
Our vision/aim
We will build on long-standing collaborations and deep-rooted expertise across public health, primary care, microbiology, behavioural science and mixed-methods research to advance antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) approaches that maximise benefit.
Theme projects
Enhancing AMS strategies to engage the public, reduce health inequalities and maximise impact
We will explore the needs and preferences of underserved communities and work with them to co-design (enhancements of) patient/public-targeted interventions (e.g. educational resources, mass media campaigns). We will specifically focus on tailoring to meet the needs of diverse populations. We will work to ensure inclusive research practice and community engagement and use health equity tools to ensure we consider health equity principles in our approach.
Produce recommendations to promote access to diagnostics primary care contexts
We will generate the information industry need to deliver tests fit-for-purpose in NHS AMS, working with payers, implementers and patients to create Target Product Profiles (TPPs) which will outline the minimum requirements for AMS diagnostics, and recommending core outcomes and pathways for pre- and post-market authorisation evaluations. With Theme-2, we will assess cost-effectiveness of alternative reimbursement pathways, which can alter behaviour towards judicious use in AMS most effectively.
Implementing AMS strategies across primary care settings and healthcare professionals for long-term impact
Given recent rapid changes in delivery of primary care, we will use behavioural science approaches to explore how clinician-targeted interventions, initially designed for general practice, may need to be adapted for other primary care settings (e.g. community pharmacy, online services). We will identify how strategies can be enhanced to support frontline HCPs with diversity in training and role, such as nurse prescribers and physicians’ assistants. Using implementation science approaches, we will examine how we can support the adoption (at scale) of interventions which have shown to be effective and support sustainable change for long-term impact of AMS.