Socioeconomic risk factors for antibiotic resistance (SEARCHING study)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Socio-Economic risk factors for Antibiotic Resistant Community and Healthcare associated Infections in NHS Grampian(The SEARCHING study)
IRAS ID
138887
Contact name
Timothy Lawes
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Aberdeen
Research summary
Research on antibiotic resistant infections and the diarrhoeal illness C.difficile has largely focused on risks arising in hospitals or other formal healthcare facilities. However, there is an increasing recognition that such infections spread and evolve in community settings, including households, care homes and social networks. Strategies to control antibiotic resistant infections requires better understandings of which populations and individuals are most at risk.
Deprivation is linked to risk of acquiring many infectious diseases, yet there is little evidence on associations between socio-economic factors and antibiotic resistance. Socio-economic gradients in rates of healthcare contacts, enduring health problems, individual and population antibiotic exposures may explain such a relationship.
The aim of this study will be to determine if there is a socio-economic gradient in rates of antibiotic resistant community and hospital associated infections and to explore factors which may explain the gradient.
We have planned a study following a cohort of patients >18 years registered with a GP in NHS Grampian between June 2010 and June 2012. We will look at only historic records up to June 2013. More detailed records from hospital admissions will be gathered from case notes for a smaller number of cases and controls, in order to explore the impact of hospital exposures.
We aim to create a single database integrating routinely generated data from NHS Grampian care activities in primary and secondary care, electronic microbiology and pharmacy databases. GP practice variables will be from publically accessible files maintained by the Information Services Division and secondary care data from Health Intelligence. Support for identification of the primary cohort, data linkage and data storage is to be provided by the Grampian Data Safe Haven.
The main analysis will involve use of multi-level regression analysis, combining both individual and GP practice variables, to explore factors linked with antibiotic resistant infections.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
14/NS/0064
Date of REC Opinion
15 Apr 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion