Box 1 Tips for drafting self-sampling request letters

Involving patients in infection prevention and control starts with proper communication. When requesting contact patients to self-sample for detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, informing and reassuring patients should receive high priority. Several points should therefore be taken into consideration when composing a self-sampling request letter:

1. Information regarding the potential symptoms, risks and consequences associated with the antibiotic-resistant bacteria should be explicitly and clearly stated

2. The importance of screening (for oneself and others) should become clear from the provided information, e.g., to stress the importance of prevention of transmission to vulnerable patients

3. Clear and practical step-by-step instructions should be provided so that patients can single-handedly take the necessary swabs at home. Illustrations can help clarify the different steps

4. Patients should be able to extract what the do’s and dont’s are with regard to hygiene practices until the self-sampling results are known

5. Self-sampling request letters should inform patients on how the self-sampling results will be received, e.g., by letter or phone. Make sure to always inform patients of the self-sampling results, both in case of confirmed carriage and no carriage

6. The abovementioned information should be written in a simple, short and concise manner, e.g., one A4-document. A CEFR-level below B2 should, preferably, be used

7. Inform patients that the letter was sent to them as soon as the unexpected detection was done in order to minimize misunderstanding and frustration with the timing of the letter

More information can be found at the website of the IP & AMR Care Network South-western Netherlands (in Dutch) [29]