Project 835 | SAATH: Study to Adapt TARGET Toolkit with multigenerational SoutH Asian communities

Delivering a culturally-adapted and public-facing TARGET Antibiotic Toolkit for acute respiratory tract infections through insights from South Asian communities in the UK

One of the biggest health challenges worldwide is that antibiotics may stop working when they are used too often. A major reason for this is unnecessary use of antibiotics for symptoms like coughs and sore throats. The NHS promotes a resource called the TARGET Antibiotics Toolkit, for use in GP consultations, to guide patients on using antibiotics responsibly. While TARGET has been effective, service users are unlikely to access the Toolkit unless they see a GP. It also assumes patients make decisions about their health on their own when they may be influenced by their family, culture or experiences from their home country.
South Asian communities are the largest ethnic minority groups in the UK and more likely to live with family members from multiple generations (e.g. parents, grandparents). Asian/British Asian groups also report a greater number of infections that cannot be treated by antibiotics, suggesting they have taken them too often or have been exposed to difficult-to-treat bugs. They also face extra challenges when visiting the doctor, such as language barriers and health information that may not reflect cultural values. This study will work with South Asian communities to understand how we can adapt the TARGET Toolkit so it better reflects family and cultural influences and so it can be used outside GP appointments. TARGET is already translated in common South Asian languages, however translation does not guarantee the advice reflects cultural beliefs and practices. Over 18 months, we will:
– Review studies on how culture and family influence how people manage symptoms like coughs and sore throats.
– Interview South Asian adults from different generations to understand how they manage symptoms and what they think of the TARGET Toolkit.
– Run workshops where patients and healthcare professionals work together to adapt the TARGET Toolkit so it better reflects family and cultural influences.

The final outcome will be an adapted version of TARGET, including formats that are accessible outside of a GP consultation and a short video that can be shared during GP consultations and through communities. In the long-term, this Toolkit will improve equitable community access to information about common infections.