Consensus-based antimicrobial resistance and stewardship competencies for UK undergraduate medical students

Background

In the UK there is limited coverage of antimicrobial stewardship across postgraduate curricula and evidence that final year medical students have insufficient and inconsistent antimicrobial stewardship teaching. A national undergraduate curriculum for antimicrobial resistance and stewardship is required to standardize an adequate level of understanding for all future doctors.

Objectives

To provide a UK national consensus on competencies for antimicrobial resistance and stewardship for undergraduate medical education.

Methods

Using the modified Delphi method over two online survey rounds, an expert panel comprising leads for infection teaching from 25 UK medical schools reviewed competency descriptors for antimicrobial resistance and stewardship education.

Results

There was a response rate of 100% with all 28 experts who agreed to take part completing both survey rounds. Following the first-round survey, of the initial 55 descriptors, 43 reached consensus (78%). The second-round survey included the 12 descriptors from the first round in which agreement had not been reached, four amended descriptors and 12 new descriptors following qualitative feedback from the panel members. Following the second-round survey, a total of 58 consensus-based competency descriptors within six overarching domains were identified.

Conclusions

The consensus-based competency descriptors defined here can be used to inform standards, design curricula, develop assessment tools and direct UK undergraduate medical education.