scholarly journals Antibiotic use and deprivation: an analysis of Welsh primary care antibiotic prescribing data by socioeconomic status

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
pp. 2363-2371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Adekanmbi ◽  
Hywel Jones ◽  
Daniel Farewell ◽  
Nick A Francis

Abstract Objectives To examine the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and antibiotic prescribing, controlling for the presence of common chronic conditions and other potential confounders and variation amongst GP practices and clusters. Methods This was an electronic cohort study using linked GP and Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) data. The setting was GP practices contributing to the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank 2013–17. The study involved 2.9 million patients nested within 339 GP practices, nested within 67 GP clusters. Results Approximately 9 million oral antibiotics were prescribed between 2013 and 2017. Antibiotic prescribing rates were associated with WIMD quintile, with more deprived populations receiving more antibiotics. This association persisted after controlling for patient demographics, smoking, chronic conditions and clustering by GP practice and cluster, with those in the most deprived quintile receiving 18% more antibiotic prescriptions than those in the least deprived quintile (incidence rate ratio = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.181–1.187). We found substantial unexplained variation in antibiotic prescribing rates between GP practices [intra-cluster correlation (ICC) = 47.31%] and GP clusters (ICC = 12.88%) in the null model, which reduced to ICCs of 3.50% and 0.85% for GP practices and GP clusters, respectively, in the final adjusted model. Conclusions Antibiotic prescribing in primary care is increased in areas of greater SES deprivation and this is not explained by differences in the presence of common chronic conditions or smoking status. Substantial unexplained variation in prescribing supports the need for ongoing antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.

2005 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shadi Chamany ◽  
Jay Schulkin ◽  
Charles E. Rose ◽  
Laura E. Riley ◽  
Richard E. Besser

Background:Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) have not been well described among obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs). This information is useful for determining whether an OB/GYN-specific program promoting appropriate antibiotic use would significantly contribute to the efforts to decrease inappropriate antibiotic use among primary care providers.Methods:An anonymous questionnaire asking about the treatment of URIs was sent to 1031 obstetrician-gynecologists.Results:The overall response rate was 46%. The majority of respondents (92%) were aware of the relationship between antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance, and respondents estimated that 5% of their patients had URI symptoms at their office visits. Overall, 56% of respondents reported that they would prescribe an antibiotic for uncomplicated bronchitis and 43% for the common cold. OB/GYNs with the fewest years of experience were less likely than those with the most years of experience to report prescribing for uncomplicated bronchitis (Odds ratio (OR) 0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.23 to 0.91) or the common cold (OR 0.44, CI 0.22 to 0.89). The majority of respondents (60%) believed that most patients wanted an antibiotic for URI symptoms, with male OB/GYNs being more likely than female OB/GYNs (OR 2.1, CI 1.2 to 3.8) to hold this belief. Both male OB/GYNs (OR 1.9, CI 1.1 to 3.4) and rural practitioners (OR 2.1, CI 1.1 to 4.0) were more likely to believe that it was hard to withhold antibiotics for URI symptoms because other physicians prescribe antibiotics for these symptoms. OB/GYNs who believed that postgraduate training prepared them well for primary care management were more likely than those who did not (OR 2.1, CI 1.1 to 4.2) to believe that they could reduce antibiotic prescribing without reducing patient satisfaction.Conclusion:Multiple demographic factors affect attitudes and reported practices regarding antibiotic prescribing. However, in view of the low proportion of office visits for URIs, an OB/GYN-specific program is not warranted.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Durand ◽  
Aude Chappuis ◽  
Eric Douriez ◽  
Frédérique Poulain ◽  
Raheelah Ahmad ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Community health care accounts for the vast majority of antibiotic use in Europe. Given the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), there is an urgent need to develop new antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions in primary care that could involve different health care providers including community pharmacists. This study aimed to explore the perceptions, currents practices and interventions of community pharmacists regarding antimicrobial stewardship.Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with community pharmacists in France. Participants were recruited through a professional organization of community pharmacists combined with a snowballing technique. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used while developing the interview guide and carrying out thematic analysis.Results: Sixteen community pharmacists participated. All the respondents had good awareness about antimicrobial resistance and believed community pharmacists had an important role in tackling AMR. Some barriers to community pharmacists’ participation in AMS were identified such as difficult interactions with prescribers, lack of time and lack of access to patient medical records and diagnosis. Increased patient education, audits and feedback of antibiotic prescribing, increased point-of-care testing and delayed prescribing were interventions suggested by the pharmacists to improve antibiotic use in primary care. Strategies cited by participants to facilitate the implementation of such interventions are increased pharmacist-general practitioner collaboration, specialized training, clinical decision support tools as well as financial incentives. Conclusions: This study suggests that community pharmacists could play a greater role in infection management and AMS interventions. Further interprofessional collaboration is needed to optimize antibiotic prescribing and utilization in community health care.


2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Qiang He ◽  
Martyn Kirk ◽  
John Hall ◽  
Bette Liu

Abstract Background Inappropriate antibiotic use is a global health concern as it increases antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics are not routinely recommended for treating acute gastroenteritis, non-typhoidal salmonella and campylobacter infections. We investigated adherence to these recommendations in primary care. Methods We used a large electronic database of primary care records to identify presentations for acute gastroenteritis, non-typhoidal salmonella and campylobacter infections and antibiotic prescribing from 1st Jan 2013 to 31 December 2018. We estimated the proportions of cases prescribed antibiotics according to various characteristics and examined the antibiotics prescribed. Results A total of 86998, 1106, and 1952 participants were identified with acute gastroenteritis, non-typhoidal salmonella, and campylobacter infections and correspondingly 10% (8720/86998), 40% (437/1106), and 57% (1118/1952) of these cases were prescribed antibiotics in the period up to 5 days post-diagnosis. Patients residing in outer regional/remote areas and those from Northern Territory and Queensland were more likely to be prescribed antibiotics than those residing in major cities and those from other states (p < =0.04). No dominant antibiotic class was prescribed for acute gastroenteritis. Quinolones (28.6%) and macrolides (27.0%) were the most frequently prescribed antibiotics for non-typhoidal salmonella, and macrolides (69%) were the predominant antibiotics prescribed for campylobacter. Conclusion The high proportion of antibiotics dispensed in the general population with acute gastroenteritis, non-typhoidal salmonella and campylobacter infections suggests that antimicrobial stewardship needs to include better education and awareness around treatment guidelines for such infections. Key messages Antibiotics use was common for Australian population with acute gastroenteritis, particularly those with non-typhoidal salmonella and campylobacter infections.


Author(s):  
Chenxi Liu ◽  
Chaojie Liu ◽  
Dan Wang ◽  
Xinping Zhang

The aim of this paper is to measure the knowledge and attitudes of primary care physicians toward antibiotic prescriptions and their impacts on antibiotic prescribing. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 625 physicians from 67 primary care facilities in Hubei, China. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to test the theoretical framework derived from the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) theory. Physicians’ knowledge, five sub-types of attitudes, and three sub-types of behavioral intentions towards antibiotic use were measured. Physicians had limited knowledge about antibiotic prescriptions (average 54.55% correct answers to 11 questions). Although they were generally concerned about antibiotic resistance (mean = 1.28, SD = 0.43), and were reluctant to be submissive to pressures from consumer demands for antibiotics (mean = 1.29, SD = 0.65) and the requirements of defensive practice (mean = 1.11, SD = 0.63), there was a lack of motivation to change prescribing practices (mean = −0.29, SD = 0.70) and strong agreement that other stakeholders should take the responsibility (mean = −1.15, SD = 0.45). The SEM results showed that poor knowledge, unawareness of antibiotic resistance, and limited motivation to change contributed to physicians’ high antibiotics prescriptions (p < 0.001). To curb antibiotic over-prescriptions, improving knowledge itself is not enough. The lack of motivation of physicians to change needs to be addressed through a systematic approach.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (08) ◽  
pp. 1117-1123
Author(s):  
Salih Hosoglu ◽  
Annika Yanina Classen ◽  
Zekeriya Akturk

Introduction: Antibiotic consumption increases worldwide steadily. Turkey is now top on the list of global consumption and became a prototype of excessive use of antibiotics. In the last two decades, family physicians (FPs) have become key figures in the healthcare system. This study aims to understand the reasons for inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and elicit suggestions for improving antibiotic use in primary care from doctors themselves. Methodology: This is a qualitative semi-structured interview study with research dialogues guided by the Vancouver School of interpretive phenomenology. Fourteen FPs from different parts of Turkey were questioned on inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions and their suggestions for improving antibiotic use. Results: The most important reasons for prescribing antibiotics without acceptable indications were patient expectations, defensive medical decision making, constraints due to workload, and limited access to laboratories. The most remarkable inference was the personal feeling of an insecure job environment of the FPs. The most potent suggestions for improving the quality of antibiotic prescription were public campaigns, improvements in the diagnostic infrastructures of primary care centers, and enhancing the social status of FPs. The FPs expressed strong concerns related to the complaints that patients make to administrative bodies. Conclusions: Primary care physicians work under immense pressure, stemming mainly from workload, patient expectations, and obstacles related to diagnostic processes. Improving the social status of physicians, increasing public awareness, and the facilitation of diagnostic procedures was the methods suggested for increasing antibiotic prescription accuracy.


2017 ◽  
Vol 67 (656) ◽  
pp. e168-e177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tau-Hong Lee ◽  
Joshua GX Wong ◽  
David CB Lye ◽  
Mark IC Chen ◽  
Victor WK Loh ◽  
...  

BackgroundAcute upper respiratory infections (AURI) are the leading causes of antibiotic prescribing in primary care although antibiotics are often not indicated.AimTo gain an understanding of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of GPs in Singapore and the associated latent factors to guide the implementation of an effective programme to reduce antibiotic use in primary care.Design and setting:An anonymous survey on the KAP of antibiotic use in AURI of GPs in Singapore.MethodKAP survey questionnaires were posted to all GPs from a database. To ascertain the latent factors affecting prescribing patterns, exploratory factor analysis was performed.ResultsAmong 427 responses, 351 (82.2%) were from GPs working in private practice. It was found that 58.4% of GPs in the private versus 72.4% of those in the public sector recognised that >80% of AURIs were caused by viruses (P = 0.02). The majority of GPs (353/427; 82.7%) felt that antibiotics were overprescribed in primary care. Significant factors associated with low antibiotic prescribing were good medical knowledge and clinical competency (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.4 to 4.3), good clinical practice (aOR 2.7 [95% CI = 2.0 to 3.6]), availability of diagnostic tests (aOR 1.4 [95% CI = 1.1 to 1.8]), and desire to improve clinical practice (aOR 1.5 [95% CI = 1.2 to 1.9]). The conservative practice of giving antibiotics ‘to be on the safe side’ is significantly less likely to be associated with low antibiotic prescribing (aOR 0.7 [95% CI = 0.5 to 0.9]).ConclusionThis is the first KAP survey on antibiotic prescribing for AURI among GPs in Singapore. With the latent factors identified, future interventions should be directed at addressing these factors to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 2098-2103
Author(s):  
Steffani R Bailey ◽  
Katie Fankhauser ◽  
Miguel Marino ◽  
Teresa Schmidt ◽  
Sophia Giebultowicz ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Initiating tobacco use in adolescence increases the risk of nicotine dependence and continued use into adulthood. Primary care visits provide opportunities for the assessment and treatment of tobacco use; however, little is known about prevalence and correlates of assessing smoking status and current use among adolescents in these settings. Aims and Methods Using electronic health record data from the OCHIN network, we identified adolescents with greater than or equal to one primary care visit to a study clinic (n = 366 clinics from 15 US states) during January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017. We estimated odds ratios of smoking assessment and current smoking status by patient covariates. Results Of 140 887 patients, 87.4% were assessed for smoking. Being Latino or Black (adjusted odds ratio = 1.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.13–1.32; adjusted odds ratio = 1.17, 95% confidence interval: 1.07–1.29, respectively, vs. non-Hispanic White), publicly insured, having more visits, and having an asthma diagnosis or other respiratory symptoms were associated with higher odds of assessment. Odds were lower if the patient was male and uninsured. Of those assessed, 1.6% identified as current smokers. Being older, having more visits, an asthma diagnosis, other respiratory symptoms, and lower household income was associated with higher odds of being a current smoker. Latinos and Blacks had lower odds than non-Hispanic Whites. Conclusions Although some commonly reported tobacco-related disparities were not present, smoking assessment and current smoking status differed significantly by most patient demographics. Implementation of adolescent tobacco assessment protocols and the development of interventions to target subpopulations of adolescents with higher rates of smoking could mitigate disparate rates of assessment and smoking, respectively. Implications Clinical guidelines recommend screening adolescents for tobacco use in primary care settings. We found that most adolescents seen in US safety-net primary care clinics were assessed for smoking. We also found that smoking assessment and current smoking status differed significantly by most patient demographics. Implementing tobacco assessment protocols specific to adolescents could mitigate disparate rates of assessment and ensure accurate documentation of all forms of tobacco use, given the evolution of alternative tobacco products and poly use among adolescents. Interventions to target subpopulations of adolescents with higher smoking rates are needed to prevent the negative health effects of continued smoking.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 196
Author(s):  
Alma C. van de Pol ◽  
Josi A. Boeijen ◽  
Roderick P. Venekamp ◽  
Tamara Platteel ◽  
Roger A. M. J. Damoiseaux ◽  
...  

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought dramatic changes in the delivery of primary health care across the world, presumably changing the number of consultations for infectious diseases and antibiotic use. We aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on infections and antibiotic prescribing in Dutch primary care. All patients included in the routine health care database of the Julius General Practitioners’ Network were followed from March through May 2019 (n = 389,708) and March through May 2020 (n = 405,688). We extracted data on consultations for respiratory/ear, urinary tract, gastrointestinal and skin infections using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) codes. These consultations were combined in disease episodes and linked to antibiotic prescriptions. The numbers of infectious disease episodes (total and those treated with antibiotics), complications, and antibiotic prescription rates (i.e., proportion of episodes treated with antibiotics) were calculated and compared between the study periods in 2019 and 2020. Fewer episodes were observed during the pandemic months than in the same months in 2019 for both the four infectious disease entities and complications such as pneumonia, mastoiditis and pyelonephritis. The largest decline was seen for gastrointestinal infections (relative risk (RR), 0.54; confidence interval (CI), 0.51 to 0.58) and skin infections (RR, 0.71; CI, 0.67 to 0.75). The number of episodes treated with antibiotics declined as well, with the largest decrease seen for respiratory/ear infections (RR, 0.54; CI, 0.52 to 0.58). The antibiotic prescription rate for respiratory/ear infections declined from 21% to 13% (difference −8.0% (CI, −8.8 to −7.2)), yet the prescription rates for other infectious disease entities remained similar or increased slightly. The decreases in primary care infectious disease episodes and antibiotic use were most pronounced in weeks 15–19, mid-COVID-19 wave, after an initial peak in respiratory/ear infection presentation in week 11, the first week of lock-down. In conclusion, our findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on the presentation of infectious disease episodes and antibiotic use in primary care in the Netherlands. Consequently, the number of infectious disease episodes treated with antibiotics decreased. We found no evidence of an increase in complications.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1131
Author(s):  
Peter Konstantin Kurotschka ◽  
Elena Tiedemann ◽  
Dominik Wolf ◽  
Nicola Thier ◽  
Johannes Forster ◽  
...  

Outpatient antibiotic use is closely related to antimicrobial resistance and in Germany, almost 70% of antibiotic prescriptions in human health are issued by primary care physicians (PCPs). The aim of this study was to explore PCPs, namely General Practitioners’ (GPs) and outpatient pediatricians’ (PDs) knowledge of guideline recommendations on rational antimicrobial treatment, the determinants of confidence in treatment decisions and the perceived need for training in this topic in a large sample of PCPs from southern Germany. Out of 3753 reachable PCPs, 1311 completed the survey (overall response rate = 34.9%). Knowledge of guideline recommendations and perceived confidence in making treatment decisions were high in both GPs and PDs. The two highest rated influencing factors on prescribing decisions were reported to be guideline recommendations and own clinical experiences, hence patients’ demands and expectations were judged as not influencing treatment decisions. The majority of physicians declared to have attended at least one specific training course on antibiotic use, yet almost all the participating PCPs declared to need more training on this topic. More studies are needed to explore how consultation-related and context-specific factors could influence antibiotic prescriptions in general and pediatric primary care in Germany beyond knowledge. Moreover, efforts should be undertaken to explore the training needs of PCPs in Germany, as this would serve the development of evidence-based educational interventions targeted to the improvement of antibiotic prescribing decisions rather than being focused solely on knowledge of guidelines.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Warren McIsaac ◽  
Sahana Kukan ◽  
Ella Huszti ◽  
Leah Szadkowski ◽  
Braden O’Neill ◽  
...  

Abstract Background More than 90% of antibiotics are prescribed in primary care, but 50% may be unnecessary. Reducing unnecessary antibiotic overuse is needed to limit antimicrobial resistance. We conducted a pragmatic trial of a primary care provider-focused antimicrobial stewardship intervention to reduce antibiotic prescriptions in primary care. Methods Primary care practitioners from six primary care clinics in Toronto, Ontario were assigned to intervention or control groups to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-faceted intervention for reducing antibiotic prescriptions to adults with respiratory and urinary tract infections. The intervention included provider education, clinical decision aids, and audit and feedback of antibiotic prescribing. The primary outcome was total antibiotic prescriptions for these infections. Secondary outcomes were delayed prescriptions, prescriptions longer than 7 days, recommended antibiotic use, and outcomes for individual infections. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate treatment effects, adjusting for clustering by clinic and baseline differences. Results There were 1682 encounters involving 54 primary care providers from January until May 31, 2019. In intervention clinics, the odds of any antibiotic prescription was reduced 22% (adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.78; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.64.0.96). The odds that a delay in filling a prescription was recommended was increased (adjusted OR=2.29; 95% CI=1.37, 3.83), while prescription durations greater than 7 days were reduced (adjusted OR=0.24; 95% CI=0.13, 0.43). Recommended antibiotic use was similar in control (85.4%) and intervention clinics (91.8%, p=0.37). Conclusions A community-based, primary care provider-focused antimicrobial stewardship intervention was associated with a reduced likelihood of antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory and urinary infections, an increase in delayed prescriptions, and reduced prescription durations. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03517215).


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