Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Jan 19, 2023
Date Accepted: Mar 6, 2023
An evidence-based serious-game mobile application for public education on antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance: Protocol of a randomized controlled trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
The misuse and overuse of antibiotics contribute to the acceleration of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), but public knowledge on appropriate antibiotic use and AMR remained low despite ongoing health promotion efforts. Mobile app gamification has gained traction in recent years for health promotion and to effect change in health behaviors. Hence, we developed an evidence-based serious-game mobile application (app)— “SteWARdS Antibiotic Defence” —to educate the public on appropriate antibiotic use and AMR to address knowledge gaps.
Objective:
We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the “SteWARdS Antibiotic Defence” app in improving the knowledge of, attitude towards, and perception (KAP) of appropriate antibiotic use and AMR among the public. The primary objective is to assess knowledge improvement, while the secondary objectives are to 1) assess the extent of user engagement with the app and the level of user satisfaction in using the app.
Methods:
: Our study is a parallel two-armed randomized controlled trial with a 1:1 allocation. We will recruit four hundred participants 18 years and above from government-funded primary care clinics in Singapore. Participants randomized to the intervention group will be required to use the “SteWARdS Antibiotic Defence” app for a maximum of two weeks on their smartphones, while the control group will not receive any intervention.
Results:
The primary outcomes are the change in participants’ KAP towards antibiotics use and AMR immediately and 6-10 weeks post-intervention. The control group’s KAP will be measured at baseline and 6-10 weeks later. The secondary outcomes are the assessment of the user engagement level (tracked by the app) and satisfaction level of playing the game (via the immediate post-game survey).
Conclusions:
This study assesses the effectiveness of a serious-game mobile app in public health education. The app intervention, if successful, will be disseminated to benefit a larger population. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05445414; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05445414
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