About GUARD

 

GUARD is the Georgia chapter of CDC's "Get Smart" campaign to educate the public and medical groups on the appropriate use of antibiotics. GUARD was created in 2001 and was fully funded by CDC until 2006. SInce 2006, GUARD has been supported by donations and grants, but still coordinates with the CDC.

The leadership of GUARD consisted of personnel at the Georgia Department of Human Resources in Atlanta for the first 3 1/2 years of its existence. In 2005 GUARD was transferred to the Medical College of Georgia under the leadership of Dr. Jim Wilde, a Pediatric Emergency Medicine specialist with additional expertise in Pediatric Infectious Diseases.

 

The GUARD Coalition is a broad group of organizations and individuals in the state of Georgia who share an interest in antibiotic resistance and the appropriate use of antibiotics. GUARD Coalition partners assist each other in creating and disseminating educational information about these critical subjects.

 

 

Mission

The GUARD Coalition seeks to reduce the spread of antibiotic-resistant disease and preserve antibiotic effectiveness by decreasing inappropriate antibiotic use throughout the state of Georgia through the collaborative efforts of professional, academic, community, government, labor and industry partners.


Guiding Principles

Development of the approaches, materials and resources of the GUARD Coalition is grounded in the following principles:

  1. The strength of the project comes from collaboration and involvement of individuals with varied backgrounds and experience.
  2. Coalition members will come from differing perspectives, but will agree to disagree, while working together in achieving the Coalition goals.
  3. We will learn and benefit from the experience of others.
  4. The emphasis of the project is informed behavior change:
    • in consumer expectations-- through understanding that antibiotics are useful only for bacterial infections
    • in appropriate prescribing of antibiotics-- through physician-led behavior change among health care professionals.
  5. Educational initiatives are central to the Coalition's efforts.
  6. We will use evidence-based approaches, promote measures resulting from expert or consensus opinion, and monitor scientific outcome measures whenever possible.


Goals

  1. Change consumer awareness, understanding and behavior regarding the responsible use of antibiotics.
  2. Change physician behavior regarding the appropriate use of antibiotics to treat infectious disease.
  3. Reduce the incidence of antibiotic-resistant disease and thereby preserve antibiotic effectiveness.


Responsibilities

  1. Participate in GUARD planning and program implementation activities, including serving on committees and/or task forces as appropriate.
  2. Support GUARD by assisting in the search for funding to support the project's activities and programs.
  3. Work collaboratively with all members of GUARD to ensure the success of the coalition.
  4. Review the annual work plan, program materials, and reports as needed to support the accomplishment of the Coalition's goals.
  5. Agree that materials to be publicly represented as GUARD-supported programs or initiatives will be thoroughly discussed at quarterly GUARD meetings.

 


Committees

Clinical Practice Education Committee
  • Develops educational programs for physicians and clinical practitioners
  • Implements educational programs for physicians and clinical practitioners
  • Identifies venues for clinical practice education
    Consumer Education Committee
  • Develops materials to increase consumer awareness of appropriate antibiotic use nsumer awareness of appropriate antibinsumer awareness of appropriate antibi
  • Develops programs to increase consumer awareness of appropriate antibiotic use
  • Identifies groups to target for educational programs
  • Works with consumer groups on program
    Research and Data Committee
  • Facilitates, identifies and collects measures and data related to antibiotic resistance
  • Conducts research projects to further the knowledge about antibiotic resistance
  • Determines research needs
    Media and Public Relations Committee
  • Develops a media strategy to promote public awareness of GUARD's messages and activities
  • Ensures that the GUARD Coalition website is up-to-date
    Pharmaceutical Committee
  • Serves as a source of expertise on marketing materials and information to physicians
  • Acts as a forum to voice the concerns and interests of the pharmaceutical industry