Gamified interventions to educate healthcare professionals on the rational use of antimicrobials

A prospective interventional study with 50 clinical practitioners, medical students, and pharmacy students tested an innovative gamified training approach on antimicrobial use, based on ICMR (2022) and IDSA guidelines. Pre- and post-tests showed significant improvements: correct differentiation between bacterial and viral infections rose from 48% to 94%, rational empirical prescribing from 34% to 82%, appropriate antibiotic combinations from 44% to 84%, and knowledge of multidrug-resistant pathogens from 32% to 78%. Awareness of pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics-based prescribing increased from 20% to 76%, and understanding of intrinsic resistance from 15% to 80%. Overall, the gamified intervention effectively enhanced knowledge and practice regarding rational antimicrobial use, demonstrating its value for promoting optimal prescribing and helping curb AMR.