An e-learning tool to combat AMR

Abstract

Malta exhibits one of Europe’s highest antibiotic consumption rates, accelerating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and contributing to heightened morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate an e-learning tool to educate the Maltese community on prudent antibiotic use. Developed using Python Flask, the tool features an interactive chatbot powered by OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 model, prescription information guides, educational resources, a map of nearby pharmacies, and a quiz. Usability, learnability, efficiency, and user satisfaction was evaluated with the System Usability Scale (SUS) among 13 stakeholders and 13 community members. The stakeholders included experts in Pathology, Infection Prevention and Control, Pharmacy, Public Health, Surgery, Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology, Primary Care, Clinical Pharmacology, and Veterinary Medicine, with 11 to over 30 years of experience. The community participants were a diverse group of males and females with varying education levels. The usability scores were 86.73 from stakeholders and 72.69 from community members, both exceeding the industry benchmark of 68. The newly developed tool received a high SUS score, demonstrating that participants found it highly usable and aligned with key usability standards. This suggests the tool delivers a positive user experience. Future testing with a larger sample size will be conducted to validate these results and evaluate its effectiveness on a broader scale. The e-learning tool has the potential to raise awareness of appropriate antibiotic use and foster open dialogue between health authorities and the public.