Preserving Antibiotics through Safe Stewardship (PASS)

How can we use design to improve the stewardship of antibiotics?

Antibiotics treat a wide range of bacterial infections. The effectiveness of antibiotics reduces over time as bacteria develop resistance naturally. This process has been accelerated due to overuse and misuse of antibiotics.

The problem is being explored across four healthcare settings: secondary care, primary care, care homes and the community.

The project is led by UCL, and funded by the ESRC.

Designers have been working with data scientists, health psychologists, social scientists, and healthcare providers to understand and gather statistics on antibiotic use across the four healthcare settings. Workshops, interviews and observational sessions have also allowed rich data about antibiotic use to be pieced together.

Following statistical and behavioural analysis, the broader team have drawn up design briefs using hybrid triangulation techniques. The team is now co-designing interventions with patients, the public and healthcare practitioners.

The interventions will be published on the project website, and academic papers detailing the research methods and intervention designs are planned later this year.