Project Health Information Resources and Community-Associated Antibiotic Resistant Infections (Project HIRaCAARI) is a program designed to promote the use of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) consumer health information and other health information databases among Atlanta area communities identified with the most prevalent cases of community-associated antibiotic resistant skin and soft tissue infections, also known as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Through spatial statistical modeling of the occurrence of community-associated MRSA skin and soft tissue infection disease in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area using two distinct surveillance programs and incorporating socio- environmental (including community level spatial profiles) and socio-economic characteristics of patients? neighborhoods, we will prioritize specific Atlanta neighborhoods with high MRSA skin and soft tissue infection burden for the community level intervention. To improve physical access to relevant health information to prevent further spread of antibiotic resistant infections, our team will deploy: 1. An innovative approach to identify those communities at highest risk for antibiotic resistant MRSA skin and soft tissue infections, using NLM?s community health maps program and spatial statistical analyses with existing surveillance data of the 20 county Atlanta metropolitan statistical area. 2. A customized toolkit using a user-centered design model to educate and inform healthcare providers, patients and other lay community members at risk for antibiotic resistant MRSA skin and soft tissue infections. This toolkit will be based on information available by adapting content supplied by the NLM, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Emory University School of Medicine and Morehouse School of Medicine subject matter experts on best practice for primary prevention, early recognition, and wound management and treatment of likely MRSA skin and soft tissue infections; 3. Workshops led by Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) librarians and NLM?s Community Health Maps Program staff for health providers, patients, community librarians and selected community service providers in high risk areas on NLM resources access, contents, and general methods for assessment of information resources, websites and the customized antibiotic resistant MRSA prevention toolkit.
The purpose of the ensuing project is to empower outpatients in certain targeted communities identified to be at risk for antibiotic resistant MRSA infections with the knowledge and abilities to use the National Library of Medicine (NLM) consumer health and other databases in the pursuit of authoritative and consumer understandable health information as it relates to the prevention of antibiotic resistant infections in our communities. Further, the project has the purpose of providing healthcare providers in these same targeted communities with knowledge about the use of those information resources and relevant strategies to decrease community-related antibiotic resistant infections using the best clinical practice and evidence-based guidelines which are available through the internet and NLM resources. We anticipate that we will strengthen the abilities of public, school, and academic librarians, school nurses and athletic staff, and others to support their community members in the use of the NLM databases to address the growing health disparity seen with antibiotic resistant infections in our communities.
