Fighting antimicrobial resistance with the collaboration of citizens
10.07.2024 - The transition to patient-centric healthcare emphasizes patient participation in research and innovation, leveraging co-design and human-centered principles for collaborative healthcare solutions. In this direction, the MAKEAWARE! initiative, part of the flagship project SPEARHEAD and promoted by Innouisse, aims to empower citizens as active contributors in limiting Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) through experiential workshops and digital tools based on crowd data collection and science engagement strategies.
The shift towards a patient-centric healthcare model emphasizes the crucial role of individual participation in healthcare research and innovation. This approach is grounded in the principles of co-design and human-centred design, aiming to incorporate the perspectives of both non-experts and professionals in the development of healthcare solutions. In this direction, the «People-Powered Health» initiative promotes co-design and co-production with citizens, highlighting the importance of collaborative innovation in healthcare. The growing acknowledgement of participatory practices in science and health allows supporting the creation of new models of knowledge co-creation, where citizens are considered active contributors rather than passive participants. Such models advocate for the engagement of individuals in the research process, emphasizing the need to empower them with essential skills. Among these skills, data literacy emerges as a fundamental ability, enabling individuals to effectively gather, interpret, and utilize data within the digital health landscape. Additionally, this approach is meant to foster a more inclusive and insightful healthcare innovation process.
MAKEAWARE! initiative by SPEARHEAD
To involve citizens and empower patients in the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the University of Basel, together with a consortium of 12 research and industry partners supported by the Swiss Innovation Agency — Innosuisse, launched in 2022 the four-year flagship project SPEARHEAD, ‹Swiss Pandemic & AMR — Health Economy Awareness Detect› (SPEARHEAD), which considers stewardship and prevention programs designed to tackle the problem of resistance from different perspectives and with different approaches. Within this context, MAKEAWARE! is the initiative designed by one of the partners, the Design Institute of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), to explore different strategies and methods of patient and citizen engagement based on the grassroots co-creation of data and information. The MAKEAWARE! initiative is based on two main strategies. The first one considers a series of experiential workshops whose formats are designed in collaboration with different experts in the fields of science, communication, and technology. Design strategies, such as data visualisation, are employed to unpack and make the difficult topic of antimicrobial resistance accessible by non-experts. Participants are introduced to the correct use of antibiotics through hands-on activities, scientific tools and protocols which are meant to raise their interest and involvement. A full list of activities is available from the project repository.
From science engagement to crowd data collection
Besides the hands-on activities, two different digital tools have been developed to broaden the participation of people who are interested in contributing. Awareness is not the only necessary component to improve antibiotic consumption, but accurate information on consumption habits and practices is also fundamental to correctly addressing treatments and limiting resistance development. The Engagement Map incentivises respondents to fill out an online form by transforming the answers into an interactive visualisation open for exploration.
A different interface collects personal stories of urinary tract infections and antibiotic consumption. The project has decided to focus on urinary tract infections (UTIs) specifically because of their relevance in terms of diseases causing antibiotic resistance. Written stimuli guide people in sharing their experiences which will be later collected and reorganised for everyone to access.
Take position (on the map) by answering some questions
Antimicrobial resistance is a problem concerning everyone, and everyone can contribute differently according to interests and availability. Everyone can fill out the form to be part of the map and contribute to understanding attitudes and habits in terms of consumption practices. People with specific experiences related to antibiotic prescription or resistance are invited to share their stories from the tool. Information is collected anonymously and organised for open consultation. This allows not only individuals but also experts to access data and try to make sense of it. Physicians, practitioners, pharmacists, health authorities and every other profile who is in touch with individuals affected or who might be interested are invited to become ambassadors taking advantage of the repository to introduce the topic and provide an environment for confrontation and discussion with the public.
Are you interested? Get in touch or read more!
Follow the project on Instagram @makeawareamr
Get more information from the MAKEAWARE! Repository