Physicians’ antibiotic prescription behaviors in patients with sore throat: a comparison of family physicians and ENT doctors

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the antibiotic prescription behaviors of the physicians and their perceptions of antibiotic expectations of the patients presenting to ear-nose-throat specialists, and family physicians with the primary complaint of sore throat and related factors. Methods: A prospective descriptive study was conducted at Adnan Menderes University Hospital, Outpatient Clinics of Otorhinolaryngology, together with family physicians practicing in affiliation with Family Medicine Outpatient Clinics, between February 2014 and February 2015. The study population consisted of 384 patients with the main complaint of sore throat and 26 physicians. Patient and physician questionnaires were applied to the participants. For statistical evaluation, t-test, Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis were used. Results: Ten percent of the patients with sore throat had an expectation of antibiotic. The physicians perceived an expectation for antibiotics in 48.4% of the patients and 53.4% of them prescribed antibiotics to their patients. The patients’ expectations for antibiotics were not effective on physicians’ perceptions of patients’ antibiotic expectations or their antibiotic prescription behavior. The less experienced physicians (10.6 fold), family physicians (7.0 fold) and physicians who perceived expectation of their patients for antibiotics (5.8 fold) prescribed more antibiotics; patients living in urban areas were prescribed more antibiotics (3.2 fold). Conclusion: Antibiotic expectation of the patients with a sore throat is very low. Being a family physician, physician’s perception of patient’s antibiotic expectation, lack of professional experience, and living in urban area are the factors effective on physician’s antibiotic prescribing behavior.

Keywords

• patients’ antibiotic expectations
• prescribing behavior
• family physician
• ENT specialist

Project Number

TPF-13002

Boğaz ağrılı hastalarda hekimlerin antibiyotik yazma davranışları: Aile hekimleriyle KBB hekimlerinin karşılaştırılması

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, kulak-burun-boğaz uzmanları ve aile hekimlerinin, boğaz ağrısı yakınmasıyla kendilerine başvuran hastalarda antibiyotik beklentisi algıları ve antibiyotik yazma davranışlarıyla bunlarla ilişkili etkenleri araştırmaktı. Yöntem: Şubat 2014 ve Şubat 2015 tarihleri arasında Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi Hastanesi Kulak Burun Boğaz Hastalıkları polikliniğinde ve Aile Hekimliği polikliniği ile afiliye çalışan aile hekimleriyle ileriye dönük tanımlayıcı bir çalışma yapıldı. Başlıca yakınması boğaz ağrısı olan 384 hasta ve 26 hekim çalışma nüfusunu oluşturdu. Katılımcılara hasta ve hekim anketleri uygulandı. İstatistiksel değerlendirme için t testi, Ki-kare testi ve çoklu lojistik regresyon analizi kullanıldı. Bulgular: Boğaz ağrısı olan hastaların %10’unda antibiyotik beklentisi vardı. Hekimler hastaların %48,4’ünde antibiyotik beklentisi algıladı ve %53,4’ü hastalarına antibiyotik yazdı. Hastalardaki antibiyotik beklentisi, hekimlerin hastalardaki antibiyotik beklentilerine ilişkin algısı ve antibiyotik yazma davranışı üzerinde etkili değildi. Daha az deneyimli hekimler (10,6 kat), aile hekimleri (7,0 kat) ve hastalarında antibiyotik beklentisi algılayan hekimler (5,8 kat) daha çok antibiyotik yazmıştı; kentsel bölgelerde yaşayan hastalara daha çok antibiyotik yazılmıştı (3,2 kat). Sonuç: Boğaz ağrılı hastaların antibiyotik beklentileri oldukça düşüktür. Aile hekimi olma, hekimin hastasında antibiyotik beklentisi algılaması, mesleksel deneyim eksikliği ve kentsel bölgede yaşama, hekimlerin antibiyotik yazma davranışı üzerinde etkili faktörlerdir.

Keywords

• Hastaların antibiyotik beklentisi
• reçete etme davranışı
• aile hekimi
• KBB uzmanı

Supporting Institution

Aydın Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Komisyonu

Project Number

TPF-13002

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