An Evidence-Based Serious Game App for Public Education on Antibiotic Use and Antimicrobial Resistance: Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial

The misuse and overuse of antibiotics contribute to the acceleration of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), but public knowledge on appropriate antibiotic use and AMR remained low despite ongoing health promotion efforts. App gamification has gained traction in recent years for health promotion and to affect change in health behaviors. Hence, we developed an evidence-based serious game app “SteWARdS Antibiotic Defence” to educate the public on appropriate antibiotic use and AMR and address knowledge gaps.

Our proposed study provides a unique opportunity to assess the effectiveness of a serious game app in public health education. We anticipate possible ceiling effects and selection bias in our study and have planned to perform subgroup analyses to adjust for confounding factors. The app intervention will benefit a larger population if it is proven to be effective and acceptable to users.