2.4 Relevant

Data should be collected with the aim of answering specific questions, as data collection is never a goal in itself. An example of a relevant and specific question for which we might collect data is ‘what proportion of antimicrobials given to cattle are used for growth promotion?’. Other relevant goals are to establish baseline values or to measure progress achieved towards an objective. Irrelevant data collection is a waste of resources and will cause disengagement amongst stakeholders.

In the case of AMR data, this involves collecting the variables that will contribute towards understanding patterns of resistance, but avoiding the collection of unnecessary data. For example, when taking samples from people for the purpose of monitoring AMR, relevant data may include whether the person is healthy or unwell, and if they are unwell, what the primary diagnosis is and where it was made (e.g. hospital or community-based care). Irrelevant data might include their marital status, health insurance status and use of medications for hypertension (high blood pressure) – these data are commonly collected by health practitioners, but they don’t help us to understand AMR specifically.