Project R-8152

What is responsible antibiotic use? A search for a global definition, associated measures, its barriers and ethical aspects. (Research)

The aim of the PhD is defining and measuring "responsible use" for both existing and future antibiotics according to different stakeholders and settings worldwide. By combining scientific evidence (systematic review) and expert opinion (RAND-modified DELPHI procedure), consensus on a definition and quality indicators of responsible antibiotic use will be reached. The consensus procedure will take into account different priorities amongst stakeholders (from patients to developers of new antibiotics) and settings (high and low income). Finally, the results will be bundled into a conceptual framework for a standard of responsible use of existing and future antibiotics, both for high- and low-income countries, taking into account all health systems' key components and interfaces. In addition, encountered barriers and facilitators of responsible use will be researched from both the perspective of the patients as well as from the antibiotic R&D, regulators and ethicists (through in-depth interviews and focus groups). In a next step, this conceptual framework will be illustrated using clinical case studies. Also, ethical aspects of the defined 'responsible antibiotic use' will be explored. Ultimately, the conceptual framework of responsible antibiotic use will guide new antibiotic policies ensuring responsible antibiotic use and possibly thereby tempering the rise of antibiotic resistance. Moreover, the conceptual framework of responsible antibiotic use will be the first building block of any model attempting to reconcile incentives for novel antibiotic development with their long-term conservation through appropriate consumption.

01 August 2017 - 31 July 2018