Rational Use of Antimicrobials: Implementing a Gamified Educational Intervention for Healthcare Professionals (Preprint)

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BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance [AMR] is a global problem. It’s important to train health care professionals on rational use of antimicrobials to curb AMR OBJECTIVE In order to support efforts to reduce antibiotic resistance, the study intends to assess how well a gamified educational intervention might improve healthcare professionals' and students' understanding and usage of appropriate antibiotics. METHODS This is a prospective interventional study conducted for the clinical practitioners, Undergraduates [MBBS/Interns], Post graduates and Pharmacy Students. A total of 50 participants were included in the study. The innovative games were administered for management of infections of all the different systems of the body in accordance with the ICMR treatment guidelines 2022 and latest IDSA guidelines involving different components. Pre-test and Post-test questionnaires were administered and evaluated. RESULTS After the intervention, the knowledge on differentiating between bacterial and viral symptoms in respiratory tract infections and gastroenteritis improved from 48% to 94%. The practice of using right empirical choice of antimicrobials in the right CONCLUSIONS The gamified intervention successfully improved participants & their knowledge and awareness on rational antimicrobial use. The substantial improvements in all the aforementioned components highlight the positive impact of the intervention in promoting optimal antimicrobial use and curbing AMR. Innovative gamified interventions create better and long-lasting awareness ensuring the appropriate use of antimicrobials