Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland.
PeerJ. 2024 Aug 8;12:e17673. doi: 10.7717/peerj.17673. eCollection 2024.
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) has become a vital tool in clinical microbiology, playing an important role in outbreak investigations, molecular surveillance, and identification of bacterial species, resistance mechanisms and virulence factors. However, the complexity of WGS data presents challenges in interpretation and reporting, requiring tailored strategies to enhance efficiency and impact. This study explores the diverse needs of key stakeholders in healthcare, including clinical management, laboratory work, public surveillance and epidemiology, infection prevention and control, and academic research, regarding WGS-based reporting of clinically relevant bacterial species. In order to determine preferences regarding WGS reports, human-centered design approach was employed, involving an online survey and a subsequent workshop with stakeholders. The survey gathered responses from 64 participants representing the above mentioned healthcare sectors across geographical regions. Key findings include the identification of barriers related to data accessibility, integration with patient records, and the complexity of interpreting WGS results. As the participants designed their ideal report using nine pre-defined sections of a typical WGS report, differences in needs regarding report structure and content across stakeholders became evident. The workshop discussions further highlighted the need to feature critical findings and quality metrics prominently in reports, as well as the demand for flexible report designs. Commonalities were observed across stakeholder-specific reporting templates, such as the uniform ranking of certain report sections, but preferences regarding the depth of content within these sections varied. Using these findings, we suggest stakeholder-specific structures which should be considered when designing customized reporting templates. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of tailoring WGS-based reports of clinically relevant bacteria to meet the distinct needs of diverse healthcare stakeholders. The evolving landscape of digital reporting increases the opportunities with respect to WGS reporting and its utility in managing infectious diseases and public health surveillance.
全基因组测序（WGS）已成为临床微生物学的重要工具，在疫情调查、分子监测以及细菌种类、耐药机制和毒力因子的鉴定方面发挥着重要作用。然而，WGS 数据的复杂性在解释和报告方面带来了挑战，需要制定定制策略来提高效率和影响力。本研究探讨了医疗保健领域关键利益相关者（包括临床管理、实验室工作、公共监测和流行病学、感染预防和控制以及学术研究）对基于 WGS 的临床相关细菌报告的多样化需求。为了确定 WGS 报告的偏好，采用了以人为中心的设计方法，包括在线调查和随后与利益相关者的研讨会。该调查收集了来自地理区域内上述医疗保健领域的 64 名参与者的回复。主要发现包括与数据可及性、与患者记录的整合以及解释 WGS 结果的复杂性相关的障碍。由于参与者使用典型 WGS 报告的九个预先定义的部分设计了他们理想的报告，因此利益相关者之间在报告结构和内容方面的需求差异变得明显。研讨会讨论进一步强调了在报告中突出显示关键发现和质量指标的必要性，以及对灵活报告设计的需求。在利益相关者特定的报告模板中观察到了共性，例如某些报告部分的统一排名，但这些部分的内容深度偏好存在差异。利用这些发现，我们建议在设计定制报告模板时考虑利益相关者特定的结构。总之，本研究强调了根据临床相关细菌的 WGS 报告来满足不同医疗保健利益相关者的独特需求的重要性。数字报告的不断发展为 WGS 报告及其在管理传染病和公共卫生监测方面的应用提供了更多机会。
