LI, low-income countries; LMIC, low- and middle-income countries; HMI, high- and middle-income countries; HIC, high-income countries.Resource web link: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/tackling-antibiotic-resistance-dentists (Full classification scheme available at: http://bsac.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Educational-resource-review-classification-scheme.pdf)WHO region and country (World Bank): European Region, UK (HIC)
Peer review commentary
This 3 week online course was developed by BSAC and the FDI World Dental Federation; delivered by multi-professional and international authors. It is aimed globally at everyone who is interested in antimicrobial stewardship within dentistry. This free course is hosted by FutureLearn and takes approximately 3 h to complete. The course is split into three modules: the first module introduces the user to the problem of antimicrobial resistance and the use of antibiotics within dentistry. The second module covers the patient safety issues associated with antibiotics, factors associated with dental prescribing and global stewardship efforts. The final module encourages the user to consider their personal responsibilities towards antimicrobial resistance and encourages implementation of local stewardship programmes.The massive open online course (MOOC) uses a combination of short videos, infographics, articles and links to external resources to create an engaging and thought-provoking educational experience. The learner is easily able to interact with other users and authors through the use of focused questions to encourage discussions at the end of the steps. The use of patient stories and case studies within the dental context emphasizes the threat to patient safety of inappropriate prescribing and encourages the user to change their beliefs about antibiotics being risk free. This course considers global differences in dental prescribing and helps the user to connect to the global threat of antimicrobial resistance. The downloadable resources are well presented and easy to use. It links well to the FDI white paper: ‘The essential role of the dental team in reducing antimicrobial resistance’ https://www.fdiworlddental.org/resources/white-papers/fdi-white-paper-the-essential-role-of-the-dental-team-in-reducing-antibiotic).Overall, this is a unique and valuable learning resource for the dental team. It introduces the entire dental team to antibiotic resistance and supports development towards individual accountability towards stewardship.