Enhancing Medical Students' Confidence and Knowledge in Antibiotic Prescription and Administration through Virtual Education: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide health concern that necessitates antibiotic stewardship. Medical students significantly impact future healthcare practices; thus, their trust in antibiotic prescription and administration is crucial. This research aims to assess medical students' levels of confidence and knowledge in these areas before and after exposure to virtual antibiotic stewardship education. Methods: A one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted with medical students from King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Participants were enrolled in the WHO-online antibiotic stewardship course. Results: The group's baseline confidence and background knowledge were reported to be lower than what was offered after introducing the virtual course. The McNemar-Bowker test showed a significant difference in students' confidence in pre-course and post-course scores (Z = 20, p < 0.002); the matched paired t-test revealed a significant difference in students' knowledge scores (M = 7.66 verses M = 5.36, Z = 3.54, p = 0.001). In the sample, 70% of the students were unfamiliar with antibiotic stewardship; thus, the analysis revealed a significant difference in their familiarity before and after enrolling in the online course (30 vs. 100, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Medical students experience low confidence in the safe practice of the antibiotic stewardship program. The WHO-online antibiotic stewardship course is considered a valuable resource that can be used in a formative medical curriculum. Thus, educators and the academic curriculum must promote practical strategies to minimize antibiotic stewardship literacy and increase antibiotic prescribing and administration quality. Introducing antibiotic stewardship across the medical curriculum and establishing educational courses are some strategies that can be undertaken to ensure that future doctors are well-educated in the principles and practices of the appropriate use of antibiotic stewardship.