Can patients in hospital become guardians of antimicrobial stewardship

Two recent publications outlining the UK’s contribution to containing and controlling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across human health, animal health, the environment and the food chain acknowledge the role of the patient but provide limited examples of how to engage patients effectively.1 2 The government’s 5-year plan refers to how resources, such as the TARGET antibiotic toolkit, help engage patients and their families to support changes in behaviour that can prevent infection and reduce the use of antimicrobials.1 The 20-year strategy highlights the need to involve the public ‘through developing effective societal advocacy by identifying and using the most effective communication channels…on all aspects of antimicrobial resistance, and making sure people in the UK not only understand antimicrobial resistance but take ownership of the issue and solutions as…patients’.2 How can the aims of these documents be applied practically in a hospital setting? The ways in which hospital patients can participate in decisions about their healthcare …