United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Through an Innovative Antibiotic Dashboard.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant global health threat, undermining progress on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, which demands urgent measures to ensure worldwide health and well-being. Effective antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), facilitated by the "Start Smart, Then Focus" toolkit, is crucial for optimising antibiotic use. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the AMR crisis, highlighting the necessity for an antibiotic dashboard to ensure responsible management and effective mitigation of AMR. This research explored AMS and proposed an innovative antibiotic dashboard, developed by examining antibiotic usage in an acute care setting in the UK. The research included three sequential studies: a systematic literature review investigating AMS implementation in acute care settings over the past two decades, both prior to and during the pandemic; a retrospective cross-sectional review evaluating antibiotic prescribing among 640 hospitalised adults with respiratory infections; and a prospective survey involving 240 healthcare professionals to explore their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions towards antibiotic prescribing and AMS practices during the pandemic. Key findings revealed prevalent AMS strategies, such as prospective audits and quality metrics, effective interventions like stopping antibiotics and de-escalation to narrow-spectrum antibiotics, and the pandemic's disruptive impact on AMS practices. Based on these results, an innovative antibiotic dashboard was introduced, featuring dynamic sections for initial and pathogen-directed therapies with interactive filters and visualisations. This research highlights the critical need for enhanced AMS to combat the escalating threat of AMR, aligning with UN development goals. The innovative antibiotic dashboard provides essential metrics that significantly improve antibiotic management and patient care, facilitating real-time decision-making crucial during health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.