LI, low-income countries; LMIC, low- and middle-income countries; HMI, high- and middle-income countries; HIC, high-income countries.
Resource web link:https://openwho.org/courses/AMR-competency (Full classification scheme available at: http://bsac.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Educational-resource-review-classification-scheme.pdf).
WHO region and country (World Bank): Region of the Americas, USA (HIC).
Peer review commentary
This free, self-paced online course provides clinicians with the basic understanding of antimicrobial resistance, pharmacology of antimicrobials and the fundamentals of treatment of commonly encountered infections such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia and bloodstream infections, among others.
There are over 15 modules that include short, voice-recorded slides on a myriad of topics, and a quiz and discussion board at the end of each module. The majority of the content is intended to reach practitioners in the USA and Europe and may not be as applicable in low-income countries. The content is applicable to practitioners in all areas of medicine but not as advanced for those who specialized in infectious diseases. The slides are very easy to follow along with and primarily utilize graphics to display the content. After completion of at least 80% of the course, the participant is awarded a certificate of completion.
Overall, this course from WHO is a very useful resource for practitioners to gain additional awareness in antimicrobial stewardship, basic concepts of antimicrobials and using evidence-based medicine to treat a variety of common infections. The narrators articulate the content well and it is designed to provide a high-level overview of infectious diseases concepts. An area for improvement would be to provide education/guidance for practitioners in areas with limited resources and patient access issues.