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MRSA-net EUREGIO Twente / Münsterland
MRSA-net EUREGIO Twente/ Münsterland
On the 15th of August 2005, a new research project started at the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences. This four-year extending project bears the name “MRSA-net EUREGIO Twente/ Münsterland” and is for the most part subsidized by Euregio. The central point of this research project is the development and implementation of a Dutch-German network in behalf of all health care participants coping with MRSA, varying from hospitals, laboratories, General Practitioners, patients and public health authorities. Main goal of the network is that it leads to a cross-border quality improvement of MRSA-control and eventually a reduction in the prevalence of MRSA-infections. Since several years the bacteria also makes his appearance outside of the hospitals. This is called Community Acquired-MRSA and is mainly caused by poor hygiene. The involved parties should follow strict (national) guidelines for the prevention and control of (CA-)MRSA. Otherwise, an MRSA-infection can imply huge costs for the health institution (isolation of the patient, expensive antibiotics, time-consuming care because of guidelines which have to be followed et cetera).
Collaboration with University of Münster
For one thing, the MRSA-net helps to map the interregional distribution ways of MRSA by means of an advanced detection method developed by the University clinic in Münster. On the other hand, the MRSA-net supports the development and availability of balanced and synchronized guidelines for the prevention and control of MRSA. This second part of the project is executed by the University of Twente. The two universities will be in close contact with each other during the length of the project. Task of the University of Twente focuses in the short term on the synchronisation of the existing MRSA-guidelines. New, more user-friendly guidelines will be written by means of a content analysis of the existing guidelines and will be evaluated though an extensive usability test. The new guidelines will be put on the MRSA-net existing so far (www.mrsa-net.org), besides other information about MRSA. Which information and which applications should be available on this website will become clear by qualitative research with (possible) users.
Four participants
Two other organisations are related to this research project: The laboratory for Microbiology Twente Achterhoek in Enschede and the Landesinstitut für den Öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienst in Münster. So a total of four organisations are linked up on behalf of this project:
1. |
Laboratory for Microbiology Twente Achterhoek (Dr. Ron Hendrix, physician) |
2. |
University Clinic Münster (Dr. med. Alexander Friedrich, physician) |
3. |
Landesinstitut für den Öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienst NRW (Dr. Med. Inka Daniels-Haardt, physician) |
4. |
University of Twente |
Phd Student: Fenne Verhoeven, MA
Daily supervisor: Dr. Lisette van Gemert-Pijnen
Promotor: Prof. dr. Michaël Steehouder
Picture: dr. Lisette van Gemert-Pijnen (links) en drs. Fenne Verhoeven (rechts)
