e-Bug - Development and dissemination of a school antibiotic and hygiene education pack and website across Europe

EC contribution: : € 1.865.358
Duration: : 39 months
Starting date: : dd/mm/yyyy
Funding scheme: : N/A
Keywords: : education, hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, antibiotic
Contract/Grant agreement number: : 2005211
Project web-site: : http://www.e-bug.eu/

Background:

e-Bug is a school educational resource pack and website incorporating areas of hygiene and prudent antibiotic use to be developed and disseminated across Europe. The teaching pack with worksheets linking in with each country's national curriculum will be accompanied by websites hosting games and interactive quizzes. In each associated country a dedicated staff member will translate the pack and modify activities to suit the local country's needs. This will be under the supervision of the associated partner. This staff member will implement the pack through a national meeting with education and health stakeholders. Both packs and websites will be evaluated in southern, northern and eastern European countries to demonstrate the usability and impact on children's knowledge. Results will be used to further modify and improve the pack and website to better meet the local needs.

The consortium consists of 10 associated countries (304 million) covering 42% of the European population with the highest antibiotic use and those with large populations, thus obtaining education amongst a high percentage of high antibiotic user countries. These include: France, GB, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, Denmark, Portugal and Greece. Collaborating countries (Croatia, Finland, , Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Slovakia, Slovenia) (37 million) covering 5% of the European population will be involved in the consultation and the launch to help them to coordinate their activities for further implementation of the project results in their countries. In total, this initiative will reach 47% of the European population.

Problem:

Antimicrobial resistance remains one of the key problems within community and hospital settings in Europe identified by the European Commission in the "Community strategy Against Antimicrobial Resistance" document published in 2001. This could be tackled by prudent antibiotic use through improved public and professional education. In many European countries, antibiotic prescription rates are highest in children. Within schools, respiratory and gastrointestinal infections are a major cause of childhood illness with poor respiratory and hand hygiene contributing to increased spread of infection. The Bug Investigator project in the UK is the only antibiotic educational campaign targeting school children teaching them how to use antibiotics rationally and how to reduce spread of infections through improved hygiene. The aim of the educational activities is to reduce cross-infection in schools, so reducing the need for antibiotics, and to improve the prudent use of antibiotics in young people when they leave school.

Aim:

The aims of the e-Bug project include:

exchange of information and experiences of good practice (EU priority 1.6 & 1.8) within the educational curriculum, public campaigns and websites with associated partner countries;
development of a school pack template incorporating hygiene and prudent antibiotic use for use across European states; Educational packs will be developed for the two age groups. The concepts that will be developed for the e-Bug pack include: What are micro-organisms: Good and bad bacteria: Hand hygiene including when and how to wash hands; Respiratory hygiene and how coughs and colds spread; Prudent antibiotic use; Vaccines to prevent
development of a school education website for 9-11 and 13-16 years to improve health across the EUand will be based on the pack. The subject areas will be animated. The level of interaction will be adapted to suit each age group, and will have links to antibiotic resistance and other ehealth websites within each country. The variable Internet access in each country will be taken into account during development.

Translation and implementation of pack and website in associated countries, in close collaboration with the Departments of Health and Education in each country. To allow increased cooperation and exchange of best practice across the EU member states, the pack and web designers will facilitate translation, adaptation and implementation by an e-Bug staff member in each associated country. The science advisors in the Department of Health in each country will be approached to endorse use of the packs within schools.

Evaluation of use and impact of pack and website in an eastern, southern and northern European country, the website and pack will be evaluated using validated questionnaires and logs, and focus groups with teachers and children to determine ease of use, appropriateness of material for each age group and culture, marketing, homework and extension into the home.
dissemination of packs and marketing to collaborating partner countries.

Expected and obtained results:

The expected results include:

a report on background information covering:

how education about hygiene, normal flora and prudent antibiotic use are covered in the schools of the associated partner countries;
Website resources for adults and school aged children
Public or school education campaigns in these areas and across Europe and if/how these have been evaluated
implementation strategies that have been used in the countries for educational resources.

Production of the e-Bug pack and artwork for 9-11 and 13-16 year olds. A pack template with resources will be produced in collaboration with the associated partners. This will cover

micro-organisms and good / bad bugs
hand hygiene
respiratory hygiene
prudent antibiotic use

The activities will be adapted for use at each age group. At this stage, artwork to suit the different ethnic groups within the associated partner countries will be developed.

Development of the e-Bug website containing resources and activities for 9-11 and 13-15 year olds.
Translation of pack and website into languages and implementation of associated partners. Presentation of pack to their health, school, public health and science policy-makers to seek their endorsement.
evaluation reports covering:

the ease of use and impact of the pack on children's knowledge will be assessed in three associated partner countries through questionnaires and focus groups;
report on ease of accessibility and impact of the websiteevaluation of the use of the web site using web log analysis will be performed. Web log data and questionnaire results will be compared to gain in-depth understanding about the use of the site with respect to the knowledge gain results in order to improve the layout and navigation.
Modification of pack and the website following analysis of feedback. Based on the evaluation in output (a)&(b), the pack and the website will be modified and improved to better meet the user expectation

Examining good bugs at a school workshop

Trialling pack activities at a school workshop

Potential applications:

The e-Bug pack and website will be designed to link closely with each countries national curriculum. This resource will reinforce an awareness of the benefits of antibiotics but will also teach about prudent use and how inappropriate use can have an adverse effect on an individual's good bugs and antibiotics resistance in the community.

Coordinator:

Dr Cliodna A.M. McNulty
Primary Care Unit
Health Protection Agency
Microbiology Department
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
Great Western Road
Gloucester, GL1 3NN, England, UK
cliodna.mcnulty@hpa.org.uk

European Commission