Delivering antibiotic resistance information specifically tailored to location and time
Meng, P.; Fehre, K.; Blacky, A.; Rappelsberger, A.; de Bruin, J.S.; Adlassnig, K.-P.
Studies in Health Technology and Informatics 192: 377-381
2013
ISSN/ISBN: 1879-8365 PMID: 23920580 Document Number: 669302
Antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat to humanity. Hundred years since the beginning of the era of antibacterial drugs, we are facing increasing numbers of infections with multi-resistant pathogens. The current approach of distributing information on antibiotic resistance in printed form in the clinics has disadvantages with respect to the actuality of the data and the regional heterogeneity of resistance patterns. We developed an application named qRe using representational state transfer as a communication standard to deliver antibiotic resistance percentage information to the end user. The data is selected specifically for his/her geographic location. The user can display the information using either the application for Android smart phones or the web application. With the presented software we show the technical feasibility of delivering antibiotic resistance information specifically tailored to location and time. A short evaluation of the software showed an overall positive response from physicians. Based on recommendations of previous investigations, we expect a measurable clinical impact.