The provision of educational approaches

It is important to remember that different individuals, at different stages of their careers, are likely to have different learning preferences and educational requirements.

Depending on the resources available to you it is therefore ideal to provide a range of educational approaches.

From the following list, which educational activities do you think are ‘passive’?

• A 45 minute lecture given by an expert in antibiotic stewardship
• Teaching a junior doctor during an antibiotic ward round about one of their antibiotic prescriptions, using the patient’s drug and observation charts and microbiology results
• A poster on the wall of a ward
• Online training using clinical cases that encourage the participant to engage with, think about and understand the underlying principles of antibiotic stewardship
• Participating in a simulation of the management of a patient with urinary tract related sepsis admitted to the emergency department, using either an actor or dummy

A 45 minute lecture given by an expert in antibiotic stewardship and a poster on the wall of a ward are both considered ‘passive’ educational activities.

In general, active approaches to antibiotic education, which encourage engagement and interaction, discussion between participants and thinking and reflection by learners, are preferred.

Traditional passive approaches, such as the Grand Round lecture, remain useful to disseminate information, preferably in a highly focused, engaging and interactive style, to large numbers of participants quickly.