Respiratory tract phytotherapy as a strategy against antimicrobial resistance

Microorganisms are bioactive structures with the ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions and thus develop resistance to antibiotics. This has led to an increasing cross-national challenge: despite situations where the use of antibiotics for emergency care is indicated, these antibiotics only show less or no effectiveness at all. Responsible use of antibiotics and the development of strategies to counteract a raise of resistance forces educational institutions to handle the matter in the spirit of horizontal priorities. In the field of complementary and supplementary options for antimicrobial resistance, currently no didactic materials on this topic are available to teachers and learners. The project "Healthy Herbs" sees its task in the production of such materials. Through the interdisciplinary and transnational development of relevant, highly qualified abilities, future players in the health care sector can acquire and submit the corresponding knowledge. Subject of the educational project is the development of print and digital documents and tools to implement in the course program “Respiratory tract phytotherapy as a strategy against antimicrobial resistance". For this purpose, in collaboration with the project partners, scripts and online tools are planned to be created, consequently introduced to all partners during their courses. The complementary development of innovative didactic online material as a supplement to the script offers students traditional knowledge in the field of phytotherapeutic options for diseases in the respiratory tract as an antimicrobial strategy in a modern way. In the chapters, each filled with specialized content by the individual partner organizations, detailed descriptions on the effects and application of the selected medicinal plants are included, as well as pharmaceutical and botanical basics. Apart from didactic new approaches innovation is given throughout intensive contributions of subject-specific knowledge by the individual partner organizations. The specially designed scripts are created for the on-campus study and the preparation phases taking place at the participating universities which offer cross-national courses. Internships, additional training as well as further education activities supplement these lectures (valued with ECTS) , in which theoretical learning is practically implemented in various units.. Self-examination modules after each chapter document the acquired knowledge in the sense of anchored learning outcomes in the course’s curricula . These units are also available to teachers as part of the teaching tools. The implementation in webinars and peer-tasks in the context of the e-learning sequences supports the script optimally and enables studies and teaching, free from time and location. Furthermore this represents an important contribution to transnational communication on the important topic of antibiotic resistance. Since the educational project is located within the tertiary level, students and teachers of these institutions are included in the project as target persons. Being a part of events beyond limited project activities, the script shall be presented with additional tools (digital communication rooms and learning-cards) in line with other educational institutions and made available as qualitative educational material beyond the project's duration.