The TAP Quick Guide: A Practical Handbook for Implementing Tailoring Antimicrobial Resistance Programmes

"Responses that do not take the beliefs, perspectives and wider systems that influence human behaviour into account will have limited success in influencing behaviour and for maintaining good practice."

This Tailoring Antimicrobial Resistance Programmes (TAP) quick guide follows a step-by-step, practical approach to design and implement a targeted behaviour change intervention to address drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in human and animal health. Developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, the quick guide is designed to assist national-level TAP working groups in using a behavioural insights approach to identify appropriate and feasible interventions to begin tackling AMR in their contexts. The quick guide provides an overview of the TAP values and principles, theoretical model, and framework. The content of this guide and accompanying toolbox have been taken from the TAP manual, both of which are available at Related Summaries, below.

AMR is a complex social phenomenon, and there are many behaviours affecting AMR that WHO Member States might choose to address through an intervention. For example:

• Prescribing practice (who, what, where, and why) and the over-prescribing of antibiotics and other antimicrobials;
• Public demand for antibiotics and/or poor adherence once they have been prescribed; and
• Infection prevention and control practice in healthcare settings and the community.

The idea is that tailoring interventions towards the needs of specific groups (e.g., pharmacists, patients, prescribers, veterinarians) and contexts (e.g. communities, pharmacies, hospitals) can ensure that AMR interventions are effectively implemented and lead to positive behaviour change among populations.

The TAP process provides a systematic approach to understanding and addressing drivers of and barriers to AMR-related health behaviour. The process is usually led and implemented by national or subnational public health professionals working in AMR, as well as anyone involved in designing and planning behaviour change, communication, or health promotion activities to reduce the spread of AMR. The process is based on a number of core principles and values, including ensuring that interventions are: people centred; participatory; focused on equity; underpinned by health goals; and evidence based. It is grounded in part in the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) model for understanding health behaviours. At the core of the BCW model is the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation for Behaviour change (COM-B) framework.

The quick guide provides a brief overview of AMR and the TAP process and walks users through the 5 stages of assessing feasibility, establishing a baseline understanding of issues, prioritising topics to address, developing strategies, and implementing and evaluating interventions. The logic of the TAP quick guide: Identify the behaviour(s) you need to address; determine the drivers of and/or barriers to these behaviours; and use this insight to design evidence-based interventions to reduce the spread and pace of AMR.