RESUMO
Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is a promising alternative antimicrobial approach which has the potential to transform the way we treat bacterial infections. Phage therapy is currently being used on a compassionate basis in multiple countries. Therefore, if a patient has an antibiotic refractory infection, they may expect their clinician to consider and access phage therapy with the hope of improvement. The expectations of clinicians may be similar and may also include expectations around data collection. However, there are multiple biological and practical barriers to fulfilling patient and clinician expectations. While it is possible to access phage therapy, the path to acquisition is not straightforward and expectations therefore need to be managed appropriately to avoid raising false hope and undermining confidence in phage therapy. Phage scientists have an important contribution to make in educating clinicians and the broader public about phage therapy. However, it is clinicians that are responsible for managing the expectations of their patients and this relies on clear communication about the barriers and limitations.
RESUMO
The Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group (SAPG) is a national clinical multidisciplinary forum that coordinates and delivers antimicrobial stewardship (AS). This work includes ensuring health professionals have the necessary knowledge to contribute to improving the use of antimicrobials and to develop and implement education resources if required. The SAPG undertook a survey to scope the current understanding and learning needs among nurses and midwives in a range of care settings across Scotland. This article reports on the results, which have been used to help develop a dedicated AS education programme for this group of health professionals.