TRACE E-learning Implementation in Belgium

Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide health care problem. Increasing use of antibiotics is associated with an increase in the prevalence of bacteria resistant to the antibiotic used. Reducing antibiotic use can be effected by improving antibiotic prescribing quality in two complementary ways. One is to limit antibiotic prescribing to those patients who will benefit from the treatment and two is to prescribe these patients the recommended antibiotic. International research has shown that a web-based communication training for the prescriber combined with an interactive booklet containing relevant patient information (Genomics to combat Resistance against Antibiotics for Community acquired LRTI in Europe INternet Training for Reducing antibiOtic use (GRACE INTRO)) can significantly and safely reduce antibiotic prescribing in adults presenting to primary care with acute cough/lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). Quality assessment of antibiotic prescribing for respiratory infections in general practice has revealed the use of far too many (broad-spectrum) antibiotics in Belgium. In the proposed project, the investigators aspire to make Belgium the first European country to implement the most cost-effective part of the GRACE INTRO intervention (Translational Research on Antimicrobial resistance and Community-acquired infections in Europe (TRACE) e-learning, www.acutecough.org) at national level and to perform a scientifically sound assessment of the nationwide implementation on outpatient antibiotic use and societal cost.