Antibiotic prescription in primary care from the perspective of family physicians: a qualitative study

  • 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 mostIntroduction: 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.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author:Salih Hosoglu, Annika Yanina Classen, Zekeriya AktürkORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:384-opus4-1017789
Frontdoor URLhttps://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/101778
ISSN:1972-2680OPAC
Parent Title (English):The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
Publisher:Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
Type:Article
Language:English
Year of first Publication:2021
Publishing Institution:Universität Augsburg
Release Date:2023/02/07
Tag:Virology; Infectious Diseases; General Medicine; Microbiology; Parasitology
Volume:15
Issue:8
First Page:1117
Last Page:1123
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.13924
Institutes:Medizinische Fakultät
Medizinische Fakultät / Universitätsklinikum
Medizinische Fakultät / Lehrstuhl für Allgemeinmedizin
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Licence (German):CC-BY 4.0: Creative Commons: Namensnennung (mit Print on Demand)