Editorials
How to Prescribe Fewer Unnecessary Antibiotics: Talking Points That Work with Patients and Their Families
Am Fam Physician. 2016 Aug 1;94(3):200-202.
Related editorial: Curbing Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing: What Works?
Antibiotic resistance is one of the world's most pressing public health problems. Antibiotic-resistant infections account for an estimated 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths annually in the United States.1 Antibiotic use is a major driver of resistance,1 and most antibiotics are used in outpatient settings.2 Nationally, population-based rates of antibiotic prescribing for children decreased from 2000 to 2010, but did not change among adults 18 to 64 years of age and increased for adults 65 years and older.3 Additionally, broad-spectrum antibiotic prescribing increased for all age groups from 2000 to 2010,3 and antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections remained common in children and adults.3,4 In 2011, U.S. clinicians prescribed 262.5 million outpatient courses of antibiotics; of these, family physicians prescribed one-fourth, more than any other subspecialty.5 Thus, family physicians are critical partners in the effort to avoid antibiotic overuse.
Being a good antibiotic steward means protecting patients and the public from antibiotic resistance and adverse events by prescribing antibiotics only when needed, and prescribing the right drug at the right dosage for the right duration. Antibiotic use in childhood has been linked to increased risks of autoimmune diseases and obesity, which are likely mediated via disruptions in the microbiome.6 Clinicians should carefully weigh the risks and benefits when prescribing these drugs. In focus groups, messages about the risks associated with antibiotic use resonated with parents, who stated that they want to be informed about possible adverse drug events.7 However, adult patients seemed to be less concerned about the possibility of adverse drug events.7
Why do clinicians prescribe antibiotics inappropriately? They generally know—but do not always follow—established clinical guidelines for appropriate antibiotic use.8 Clinicians cite patient pressure and customer satisfaction as major reasons for inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions.8–10 Clinicians are more likely to prescribe antibiotics if they perceive that the parent wants them to, but studies have shown that they do not accurately predict parental expectations.11 Studies suggest that parents are often seeking reassurance that their child's condition is not serious and want to know how to help relieve their child's symptoms, but the clinician perceives them as expecting antibiotics based on things that they say.11,12 For example, clinicians are significantly more likely to think a parent wants antibiotics if the parent asks questions about the treatment plan (e.g., stating that over-the-counter treatment is not working, questioning whether the clinician thinks the child needs antibiotics), but parents are actually no more likely to do so if they expect to receive antibiotics.12 Misunderstandings such as these are likely contributing to antibiotic overuse.
Although not all patients and families expect antibiotics, some do. In these cases, how can clinicians prescribe antibiotics appropriately and keep patients and families satisfied? Studies have shown that even if patients expect antibiotics, they are willing to forego them if clinicians explain why antibiotics are not needed, provide positive treatment recommendations, and suggest contingency plans13,14 (Table 113–18). Furthermore, labels are important: patients are less likely to expect antibiotics if they are told they have a “chest cold” rather than “bronchitis.”15 In the Netherlands, communications training for family physicians led to reduced antibiotic prescriptions for acute respiratory infections in patients of all ages, and the effect of this training was sustained over 3.5 years.19 This communications training focused on teaching the clinician to elicit the patient's baseline knowledge and expectations, discuss the benefits and harms of antibiotics, provide a contingency plan for the illness, and assess the patient's understanding at the end of the visit.20
Tips on Counseling Patients About Antibiotics
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Tips on Counseling Patients About Antibiotics
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Beyond effective communication, making a public commitment to prescribe antibiotics appropriately and using delayed antibiotic prescribing (i.e., watchful waiting) are evidence-based interventions (Table 2).16,18–21 One study found that displaying posters in examination rooms with the clinician's photograph, signature, and commitment to use antibiotics appropriately led to a 20% reduction in inappropriate prescribing for acute respiratory infections.21 Delayed prescriptions can be used for patients with nonsevere infections that are likely to resolve spontaneously but may require antibiotics if they do not improve, such as otitis media or sinusitis. In delayed antibiotic prescribing, patients are given a prescription but instructed not to fill it unless symptoms do not improve or worsen within a certain time. Alternatively, the patient can return for an antibiotic prescription.
Evidence-Based Interventions to Reduce Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing
Intervention | Example | Results |
---|---|---|
Delayed antibiotic prescriptions | Patients are given a prescription or instructed to return to get a prescription if they do not feel better in a specified time or if they feel substantially worse | 62% of children with acute otitis media and delayed prescriptions did not fill them; 13% of children with acute otitis media and immediate prescriptions did not fill them.18 |
91% of adults with acute respiratory infections and immediate antibiotic prescriptions used antibiotics; 33% of patients with delayed antibiotic prescriptions did not use antibiotics; 23% of patients who were instructed to return to get a prescription used antibiotics; 12% of patients with no antibiotic prescriptions used antibiotics. Patient satisfaction was similar in all groups.16 | ||
Effective communication | Training on how to elicit the patient's baseline knowledge and expectations, discussing the benefits and harms of antibiotic use, providing a contingency plan, and assessing the patient's understanding20 | Antibiotics were prescribed in 26% of visits for respiratory infections to family physicians who had communications training compared with 39% of visits to physicians in the control group.19 |
Public commitments to use antibiotics appropriately | Posters displayed in examination rooms with the clinician's photograph, signature, and commitment to use antibiotics appropriately | 20% reduction in inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for adults with acute respiratory tract infections compared with control group.21 |
Evidence-Based Interventions to Reduce Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing
Intervention | Example | Results |
---|---|---|
Delayed antibiotic prescriptions | Patients are given a prescription or instructed to return to get a prescription if they do not feel better in a specified time or if they feel substantially worse | 62% of children with acute otitis media and delayed prescriptions did not fill them; 13% of children with acute otitis media and immediate prescriptions did not fill them.18 |
91% of adults with acute respiratory infections and immediate antibiotic prescriptions used antibiotics; 33% of patients with delayed antibiotic prescriptions did not use antibiotics; 23% of patients who were instructed to return to get a prescription used antibiotics; 12% of patients with no antibiotic prescriptions used antibiotics. Patient satisfaction was similar in all groups.16 | ||
Effective communication | Training on how to elicit the patient's baseline knowledge and expectations, discussing the benefits and harms of antibiotic use, providing a contingency plan, and assessing the patient's understanding20 | Antibiotics were prescribed in 26% of visits for respiratory infections to family physicians who had communications training compared with 39% of visits to physicians in the control group.19 |
Public commitments to use antibiotics appropriately | Posters displayed in examination rooms with the clinician's photograph, signature, and commitment to use antibiotics appropriately | 20% reduction in inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for adults with acute respiratory tract infections compared with control group.21 |
Appropriate antibiotic prescribing is a quality-of-care issue; all clinicians have the responsibility to provide the right treatments to their patients while minimizing harm. Effective communication, public commitments, and delayed antibiotic prescriptions are evidence-based tools that family physicians can institute in any office setting. With these interventions, we can continue to improve antibiotic prescribing for children and extend these improvements to patients of all ages.
REFERENCES
show all references1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Antibiotic resistance threats in the United States, 2013. http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/threat-report-2013/pdf/ar-threats-2013-508.pdf. Accessed April 22, 2016....
2. Suda KJ, Hicks LA, Roberts RM, Hunkler RJ, Danziger LH. A national evaluation of antibiotic expenditures by healthcare setting in the United States, 2009. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2013;68(3):715–718.
3. Lee GC, Reveles KR, Attridge RT, et al. Outpatient antibiotic prescribing in the United States: 2000 to 2010. BMC Med. 2014;12:96.
4. Kronman MP, Zhou C, Mangione-Smith R. Bacterial prevalence and antimicrobial prescribing trends for acute respiratory tract infections. Pediatrics. 2014;134(4):e956–e965.
5. Hicks LA, Bartoces MG, Roberts RM, et al. US outpatient antibiotic prescribing variation according to geography, patient population, and provider specialty in 2011. Clin Infect Dis. 2015;60(9):1308–1316.
6. Vangay P, Ward T, Gerber JS, Knights D. Antibiotics, pediatric dysbiosis, and disease. Cell Host Microbe. 2015;17(5):553–564.
7. Roberts RM, Albert AP, Johnson DD, Hicks LA. Can improving knowledge of antibiotic-associated adverse drug events reduce parent and patient demand for antibiotics? Health Serv Res Managerial Epidemiol. 2015;2:2333392814568345.
8. Sanchez GV, Roberts RM, Albert AP, Johnson DD, Hicks LA. Effects of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of primary care providers on antibiotic selection, United States. Emerg Infect Dis. 2014;20(12):2041–2047.
9. Ashworth M, White P, Jongsma H, Schofield P, Armstrong D. Antibiotic prescribing and patient satisfaction in primary care in England: cross-sectional analysis of national patient survey data and prescribing data. Br J Gen Pract. 2016;66(642):e40–e46.
10. Barden LS, Dowell SF, Schwartz B, Lackey C. Current attitudes regarding use of antimicrobial agents: results from physician's and parents' focus group discussions. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 1998;37(11):665–671.
11. Mangione-Smith R, McGlynn EA, Elliott MN, Krogstad P, Brook RH. The relationship between perceived parental expectations and pediatrician antimicrobial prescribing behavior. Pediatrics. 1999;103(4 pt 1):711–718.
12. Mangione-Smith R, Elliott MN, Stivers T, McDonald LL, Heritage J. Ruling out the need for antibiotics: are we sending the right message? Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160(9):945–952.
13. Mangione-Smith R, McGlynn EA, Elliott MN, McDonald L, Franz CE, Kravitz RL. Parent expectations for antibiotics, physician-parent communication, and satisfaction. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2001;155(7):800–806.
14. Mangione-Smith R, Zhou C, Robinson JD, Taylor JA, Elliott MN, Heritage J. Communication practices and antibiotic use for acute respiratory tract infections in children. Ann Fam Med. 2015;13(3):221–227.
15. Gonzalez-Estrada A, Radojicic C. Penicillin allergy: a practical guide for clinicians. Cleve Clin J Med. 2015;82(5):295–300.
16. de la Poza Abad M, Mas Dalmau G, Moreno Bakedano M, et al.; Delayed Antibiotic Prescription (DAP) Group. Prescription strategies in acute uncomplicated respiratory infections: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2016;176(1):21–29.
17. Siegel RM, Kiely M, Bien JP, et al. Treatment of otitis media with observation and a safety-net antibiotic prescription. Pediatrics. 2003;112(3 pt 1):527–531.
18. Spiro DM, Tay KY, Arnold DH, Dziura JD, Baker MD, Shapiro ED. Wait-and-see prescription for the treatment of acute otitis media: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2006;296(10):1235–1241.
19. Cals JW, de Bock L, Beckers PJ, et al. Enhanced communication skills and C-reactive protein point-of-care testing for respiratory tract infection: 3.5-year follow-up of a cluster randomized trial. Ann Fam Med. 2013;11(2):157–164.
20. Cals JW, Scheppers NA, Hopstaken RM, et al. Evidence based management of acute bronchitis; sustained competence of enhanced communication skills acquisition in general practice. Patient Educ Couns. 2007;68(3):270–278.
21. Meeker D, Knight TK, Friedberg MW, et al. Nudging guideline-concordant antibiotic prescribing: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(3):425–431.
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