Barriers and enablers to screening for AMR organisms in hospitals
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Factors affecting the implementation and acceptability of hospital screening policies for antimicrobial resistant organisms (including CPE): a qualitative study of staff and patient perceptions.
IRAS ID
203160
Contact name
Kay Currie
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Glasgow Caledonian University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 29 days
Research summary
Barriers and enablers to screening for AMR organisms in hospitals
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered to be one of the most important global threats to public health today, with bacteria called carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) an emerging challenge. One way of managing AMR in hospitals is to screen those patients at risk of carrying, or infected with, resistant organisms.
The study aims to find out staff and patients’ experience of screening and management for CPE colonisation or infection. These findings will be important to allow the development of policies and interventions to enhance the acceptability of CPE screening. Effective screening approaches which enable identification and management of patients carrying CPE in hospitals will be of benefit to all patients requiring hospital care and within society more broadly by reducing transmission of AMR organisms.
This research is funded by CSO-SIRN-HPS, which is a unit within the Scottish Government, and is part of a larger project investigating barriers and enablers to screening for different AMR organisms. However, CPE screening is in the early stages of implementation in Scotland and the opportunity to access patients and staff who have direct experience of CPE screening is limited; collaborating with a clinical partner in England who has experience of CPE management will inform policy development in Scotland around this emerging problem.
The research is a qualitative study which will involve: telephone interviews with senior infection control practitioners (i.e. Infection Control Manager and Infection Control Doctor or nominees); two focus group discussions with ward based staff (e.g. Senior Charge Nurses, Registered nurses, Drs, healthcare assistants) involved in CPE screening (one in adult acute services and one in paediatric/child health services); telephone interviews with approximately 12 patients who have been screened and managed for CPE colonisation or infection, to explore their experience.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/EE/0199
Date of REC Opinion
23 May 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion