Medical Informatics to Strengthen the Fight Against Bacterial Resistance

Antibiotic resistance has become one of the most pressing global health challenges of our time. When bacteria develop mechanisms to survive antibiotic exposure, diseases once considered easily treatable - such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and tuberculosis - become increasingly difficult to manage, leading to prolonged illness, higher costs, and greater mortality. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture, combined with inadequate infection control and limited public awareness, have accelerated the emergence and spread of resistant strains.Tackling this crisis requires both biological and systemic solutions. Medical informatics and effective data management are central to this effort. By leveraging electronic health records (EHRs), big data analytics, and machine learning, healthcare systems can detect patterns in antibiotic usage and resistance, enable real-time outbreak surveillance, and support precise prescribing practices that reduce selection pressure. At a global level, centralized databases and interoperable platforms allow researchers and policymakers to share knowledge on resistant strains, treatment outcomes, and consumption trends, enabling targeted strategies and smarter resource allocation.This Research Topic aims to collect contributions from eminent scholars in the sector to provide a comprehensive and updated picture of the situation regarding the IT tools available for a modern fight against drug resistance. Suitable themes for manuscripts include (but are not limited to):• Surveillance Systems and Early Warning Tools;• Data Integration and Interoperability;• Machine Learning, Predictive Analytics and Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS);• Big Data and Epidemiological Analysis;• Data Security and Privacy;• Education and Awareness Tools;• Policy Support and Decision-Making Frameworks;• Infection Prevention and Control;• Telemedicine and Remote Monitoring. Topic editors: Mauro Giacomini, Daniele Roberto Giacobbe, ROBERTA GAZZARATA, Ylenia Murgia Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83274/medical-informatics-to-strengthen-the-fight-against-bacterial-resistance