scholarly journals Latvian Primary Care Management of Children with Acute Infections: Antibiotic-Prescribing Habits and Diagnostic Process Prior to Treatment

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 831
Author(s):  
Zane Likopa ◽  
Anda Kivite-Urtane ◽  
Jana Pavare
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Treatment Decision ◽  
Diagnostic Process ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Prescribing Habits ◽  
Acute Infections

Background and Objectives: Primary care physicians frequently prescribe antibiotics for acutely ill children, even though they usually have self-limiting diseases of viral etiology. The aim of this research was to evaluate the routine antibiotic-prescribing habits of primary care in Latvia, in response to children presenting with infections. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included acutely ill children who consulted eighty family physicians (FP) in Latvia, between November 2019 and May 2020. The data regarding patient demographics, diagnoses treated with antibiotics, the choice of antibiotics and the use of diagnostic tests were collected. Results: The study population comprised 2383 patients aged between one month and 17 years, presenting an acute infection episode, who had a face-to-face consultation with an FP. Overall, 29.2% of these patients received an antibiotic prescription. The diagnoses most often treated with antibiotics were otitis (45.8% of all antibiotic prescriptions), acute bronchitis (25.0%) and the common cold (14.8%). The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were amoxicillin (55.9% of prescriptions), amoxicillin/clavulanate (18.1%) and clarithromycin (11.8%). Diagnostic tests were carried out for 59.6% of children presenting with acute infections and preceded 66.4% of antibiotic prescriptions. Conclusion: Our data revealed that a high level of antibiotic prescribing for self-limiting viral infections in children continues to occur. The underuse of narrow-spectrum antibiotics and suboptimal use of diagnostic tests before treatment decision-making were also identified. To achieve a more rational use of antibiotics in primary care for children with a fever, professionals and parents need to be better educated on this subject, and diagnostic tests should be used more extensively, including the implementation of daily point-of-care testing.

scholarly journals Identifying antibiotic prescribing patterns through multi-level latent profile analyses: a cross-sectional survey of primary care physicians in Hubei of China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wang ◽  
Chaojie Liu ◽  
Xinping Zhang ◽  
Chenxi Liu
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Prescribing Practices ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Latent Profile Analyses ◽  
Broad Spectrum Antibiotics

Abstract Background Overuse of antibiotics significantly fuels the development of AMR, which threating the global population health. Great variations existed in antibiotic prescribing practices among physicians, indicating improvement potential for rational use of antibiotics. This study aims to identify antibiotic prescribing patterns of primary care physicians and potential determinants. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 551 physicians from 67 primary care facilities in Hubei selected through random cluster sampling, tapping into their knowledge, attitudes and prescribing practices toward antibiotics. Prescriptions (n=501,072) made by the participants from 1 January to 31 March 2018 were extracted from the medical records system. Seven indicators were calculated for each prescriber: average number of medicines per prescription, average number of antibiotics per prescription, percentage of prescriptions containing antibiotics, percentage of antibiotic prescriptions containing broad-spectrum antibiotics, percentage of antibiotic prescriptions containing parenteral administered antibiotics, percentage of antibiotic prescriptions containing restricted antibiotics, and percentage of antibiotic prescriptions containing antibiotics included in the WHO “Watch and Reserve” list. Two-level latent profile analyses were performed to identify the antibiotic prescribing patterns of physicians based on those indicators. Multi-nominal logistic regression models were established to identify determinants with the antibiotic prescribing patterns. Results On average, each primary care physician issued 909 (ranging from 100 to 11941 with a median of 474) prescriptions over the study period. The mean percentage of prescriptions containing antibiotics issued by the physicians reached 52.19% (SD=17.20%). Of those antibiotic prescriptions, an average of 82.29% (SD=15.83%) contained broad-spectrum antibiotics; 71.92% (SD=21.42%) contained parenteral administered antibiotics; 23.52% (SD=19.12%) contained antibiotics restricted by the regional government; and 67.74% (SD=20.98%) contained antibiotics listed in the WHO “Watch and Reserve” list. About 28.49% of the prescribers were identified as low antibiotic users, compared with 51.18% medium users and 20.33% high users. Higher use of antibiotics was associated with insufficient knowledge, indifference to changes, complacency with satisfied patients, low household income and rural location of the prescribers. Conclusion Great variation in antibiotic prescribing patterns exists among primary care physicians in Hubei of China. High use of antibiotics is not only associated with knowledge shortfalls but also low socioeconomic status of prescribers.

scholarly journals Management of Common Infections in German Primary Care: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge and Confidence among General Practitioners and Outpatient Pediatricians

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1131
Author(s):  
Peter Konstantin Kurotschka ◽  
Elena Tiedemann ◽  
Dominik Wolf ◽  
Nicola Thier ◽  
Johannes Forster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Treatment Decisions ◽  
Antimicrobial Treatment ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional

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.

scholarly journals Identifying Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns Through Multi-Level Latent Profile Analyses: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Primary Care Physicians

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wang ◽  
Chaojie Liu ◽  
Xinping Zhang ◽  
Chenxi Liu
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Prescribing Practices ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Latent Profile Analyses ◽  
Broad Spectrum Antibiotics

Background: Overuse of antibiotics significantly fuels the development of Antimicrobial resistance, which threating the global population health. Great variations existed in antibiotic prescribing practices among physicians, indicating improvement potential for rational use of antibiotics. This study aims to identify antibiotic prescribing patterns of primary care physicians and potential determinants.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 551 physicians from 67 primary care facilities in Hubei selected through random cluster sampling, tapping into their knowledge, attitudes and prescribing practices toward antibiotics. Prescriptions (n = 501,072) made by the participants from 1 January to March 31, 2018 were extracted from the medical records system. Seven indicators were calculated for each prescriber: average number of medicines per prescription, average number of antibiotics per prescription, percentage of prescriptions containing antibiotics, percentage of antibiotic prescriptions containing broad-spectrum antibiotics, percentage of antibiotic prescriptions containing parenteral administered antibiotics, percentage of antibiotic prescriptions containing restricted antibiotics, and percentage of antibiotic prescriptions containing antibiotics included in the WHO “Watch and Reserve” list. Two-level latent profile analyses were performed to identify the antibiotic prescribing patterns of physicians based on those indicators. Multi-nominal logistic regression models were established to identify determinants with the antibiotic prescribing patterns.Results: On average, each primary care physician issued 909 (ranging from 100 to 11,941 with a median of 474) prescriptions over the study period. The mean percentage of prescriptions containing antibiotics issued by the physicians reached 52.19% (SD = 17.20%). Of those antibiotic prescriptions, an average of 82.29% (SD = 15.83%) contained broad-spectrum antibiotics; 71.92% (SD = 21.42%) contained parenteral administered antibiotics; 23.52% (SD = 19.12%) contained antibiotics restricted by the regional government; and 67.74% (SD = 20.98%) contained antibiotics listed in the WHO “Watch and Reserve” list. About 28.49% of the prescribers were identified as low antibiotic users, compared with 51.18% medium users and 20.33% high users. Higher use of antibiotics was associated with insufficient knowledge, indifference to changes, complacency with satisfied patients, low household income and rural location of the prescribers.Conclusion: Great variation in antibiotic prescribing patterns exists among primary care physicians in Hubei of China. High use of antibiotics is not only associated with knowledge shortfalls but also low socioeconomic status of prescribers.

scholarly journals Empathy, burnout, and antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections: a cross-sectional primary care study in the US

2017 ◽  
Vol 67 (661) ◽  
pp. e565-e571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bob Z Sun ◽  
Alexander Chaitoff ◽  
Bo Hu ◽  
Kathleen Neuendorf ◽  
Mahesh Manne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Acute Respiratory Infections ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Us ◽  
Physician Empathy ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundThe impact of physician–patient relationship factors, such as physician empathy and burnout, on antibiotic prescribing has not been characterised.AimTo assess associations between physician empathy and burnout and antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in primary care.Design and settingCross-sectional study of primary care practices in the Cleveland Clinic Health System in the US.MethodPatient and prescribing data were obtained from the medical record. All patients with primary diagnoses of ARIs from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2013, except those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or who were immunocompromised, were included. Physician empathy was measured using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy while physician burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The relationship between empathy and burnout and antibiotic prescribing, adjusted for patient and provider characteristics, was analysed using multiple linear regression.ResultsIn 5937 ARI visits to 102 primary care physicians, the median proportion resulting in antibiotic prescribing was 48.6% (interquartile range [IQR] 24.1% to 70.0%). Neither physician empathy (correlation coefficient [β] 0.005, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.001 to 0.010, P = 0.07) nor any burnout measures were significantly associated with antibiotic prescribing: emotional exhaustion (β 0.001, 95% CI = −0.005 to 0.006, P = 0.79), tendency to depersonalise patients (β −0.009, 95% CI = −0.021 to 0.003, P = 0.13), and sense of personal accomplishment (β −0.004, 95% CI = −0.014 to 0.006, P = 0.44).ConclusionThe authors found no significant association between empathy or burnout measures and antibiotic prescribing for ARIs in primary care. Other physician characteristics should be investigated to explain individual variation in antibiotic prescribing.

scholarly journals Identifying antibiotic prescribing patterns through multi-level latent profile analyses: a cross-sectional survey of primary care physicians in Hubei of China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wang ◽  
Chaojie Liu ◽  
Xinping Zhang ◽  
Chenxi Liu
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Prescribing Practices ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Latent Profile Analyses ◽  
Broad Spectrum Antibiotics

Abstract Background Overuse of antibiotics significantly fuels the development of AMR, which threating the global population health. Great variations existed in antibiotic prescribing practices among physicians, indicating improvement potential for rational use of antibiotics. This study aims to identify antibiotic prescribing patterns of primary care physicians and potential determinants. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 551 physicians from 67 primary care facilities in Hubei selected through random cluster sampling, tapping into their knowledge, attitudes and prescribing practices toward antibiotics. Prescriptions (n=501,072) made by the participants from 1 January to 31 March 2018 were extracted from the medical records system. Seven indicators were calculated for each prescriber: average number of medicines per prescription, average number of antibiotics per prescription, percentage of prescriptions containing antibiotics, percentage of antibiotic prescriptions containing broad-spectrum antibiotics, percentage of antibiotic prescriptions containing parenteral administered antibiotics, percentage of antibiotic prescriptions containing restricted antibiotics, and percentage of antibiotic prescriptions containing antibiotics included in the WHO “Watch and Reserve” list. Two-level latent profile analyses were performed to identify the antibiotic prescribing patterns of physicians based on those indicators. Multi-nominal logistic regression models were established to identify determinants with the antibiotic prescribing patterns. Results On average, each primary care physician issued 909 (ranging from 100 to 11941 with a median of 474) prescriptions over the study period. The mean percentage of prescriptions containing antibiotics issued by the physicians reached 52.19% (SD=17.20%). Of those antibiotic prescriptions, an average of 82.29% (SD=15.83%) contained broad-spectrum antibiotics; 71.92% (SD=21.42%) contained parenteral administered antibiotics; 23.52% (SD=19.12%) contained antibiotics restricted by the regional government; and 67.74% (SD=20.98%) contained antibiotics listed in the WHO “Watch and Reserve” list. About 28.49% of the prescribers were identified as low antibiotic users, compared with 51.18% medium users and 20.33% high users. Higher use of antibiotics was associated with insufficient knowledge, indifference to changes, complacency with satisfied patients, low household income and rural location of the prescribers. Conclusion Great variation in antibiotic prescribing patterns exists among primary care physicians in Hubei of China. High use of antibiotics is not only associated with knowledge shortfalls but also low socioeconomic status of prescribers.

scholarly journals Physician Associate/Assistant Impacts on Cancer Diagnosis in Primary Care: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Sheringham ◽  
Angelos Kassianos ◽  
Ruth Plackett ◽  
Anwar Khan ◽  
Angela King ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Physician Assistants ◽  
Diagnostic Process ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
And Performance

Abstract Background: Symptom recognition and timely referral in primary care are crucial for the early diagnosis of cancer. Physician assistants or associates (PAs) have been introduced in 15 healthcare systems across the world, with numbers increasing to address primary care physician shortages. Little is known about their impact on suspected cancer recognition and referral. This review sought to summarise findings from international observational studies on PAs’ competence and performance on processes concerned with the quality of recognition and referral of suspected cancer in primary care. Method: A rapid systematic review of international peer-reviewed literature was performed (PROSPERO reference: CRD42019154114). Searches were undertaken on OVID, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases (2009-2019). Studies were eligible if they reported on PA skills, processes and outcomes relevant to suspected cancer recognition and referral. Title and abstract screening was followed by full paper review and data extraction. synthesis of qualitative and quantitative findings was undertaken on three themes: deployment, competence, and performance. Preliminary findings were discussed with an expert advisory group to inform interpretation. Results: From 876 references, 15 eligible papers were identified, of which 13 were from the USA. Seven studies reported on general clinical processes in primary care that would support cancer diagnosis, most commonly ordering of diagnostic tests (n=6) and referrals to specialists (n=4). Fewer papers reported on consultation processes, such as examinations or history taking (n=3) Six papers considered PAs’ competence and performance on cancer screening. PAs performed similarly to primary care physicians on rates of diagnostic tests ordered, referrals and patient outcomes (satisfaction, malpractice, emergency visits). No studies reported on the timeliness of cancer diagnosis. Conclusion: This review of peer-reviewed literature combined with advisory group interpretation suggests the introduction of PAs into primary care may maintain the quality of referrals and diagnostic tests needed to support cancer diagnosis. It also highlights the lack of research on several aspects of PAs’ roles, including outcomes of the diagnostic process.

scholarly journals Concordance between high antibiotic prescribing and high opioid prescribing among primary care physicians: a cross-sectional study

CMAJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. E175-E180
Author(s):  
Bradley J. Langford ◽  
Cynthia Chen ◽  
Nick Daneman ◽  
Kevin A. Brown ◽  
Tara Gomes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Opioid Prescribing

scholarly journals Physician associate/assistant contributions to cancer diagnosis in primary care: a rapid systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Sheringham ◽  
Angela King ◽  
Ruth Plackett ◽  
Anwar Khan ◽  
Michelle Cornes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Physician Assistants ◽  
Diagnostic Process ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
And Performance

Abstract Background Symptom recognition and timely referral in primary care are crucial for the early diagnosis of cancer. Physician assistants or associates (PAs) have been introduced in 18 healthcare systems across the world, with numbers increasing in some cases to address primary care physician shortages. Little is known about their impact on suspected cancer recognition and referral. This review sought to summarise findings from observational studies conducted in high income countries on PAs’ competence and performance on processes concerned with the quality of recognition and referral of suspected cancer in primary care. Method A rapid systematic review of international peer-reviewed literature was performed. Searches were undertaken on OVID, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases (2009–2019). Studies were eligible if they reported on PA skills, processes and outcomes relevant to suspected cancer recognition and referral. Title and abstract screening was followed by full paper review and data extraction. Synthesis of qualitative and quantitative findings was undertaken on three themes: deployment, competence, and performance. Preliminary findings were discussed with an expert advisory group to inform interpretation. Results From 883 references, 15 eligible papers were identified, of which 13 were from the USA. Seven studies reported on general clinical processes in primary care that would support cancer diagnosis, most commonly ordering of diagnostic tests (n = 6) and referrals to specialists (n = 4). Fewer papers reported on consultation processes, such as examinations or history taking (n = 3) Six papers considered PAs’ competence and performance on cancer screening. PAs performed similarly to primary care physicians on rates of diagnostic tests ordered, referrals and patient outcomes (satisfaction, malpractice, emergency visits). No studies reported on the timeliness of cancer diagnosis. Conclusion This review of peer-reviewed literature combined with advisory group interpretation suggests the introduction of PAs into primary care may maintain the quality of referrals and diagnostic tests needed to support cancer diagnosis. It also highlights the lack of research on several aspects of PAs’ roles, including outcomes of the diagnostic process.

scholarly journals Knowledge, attitude and practice of evidence-based medicine among primary care practitioners in Malaysia: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e044372
Author(s):  
Mat Nawi Zanaridah ◽  
Mohd Noor Norhayati ◽  
Zakaria Rosnani
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Evidence Based Medicine ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Primary Care Practitioner ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Primary Care Practitioners ◽  
Based Medicine

ObjectivesTo determine the level of knowledge and practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and the attitudes towards it and to identify the factors associated with its practice among primary care practitioners in Selangor, Malaysia.SettingThis cross-sectional study was conducted in randomly selected health clinics in Selangor. Data were collected from primary care physicians using self-administered questionnaires on knowledge, practice and attitudes regarding EBM.ParticipantsThe study included 225 respondents working in either government or private clinics. It excluded house officers and those working in public and private universities or who were retired from practice.ResultsA total of 32.9% had a high level of EBM knowledge, 12% had a positive attitude towards EBM and 0.4% had a good level of its practice. The factors significantly associated with EBM practice were ethnicity, attitude, length of work experience as a primary care practitioner and quick access to online reference applications on mobile phones.ConclusionsAlthough many physicians have suboptimal knowledge of EBM and low levels of practising it, majority of them have a neutral attitude towards EBM practice. Extensive experience as a primary care practitioner, quick access to online references on a mobile phone and good attitude towards EBM were associated with its practice.

scholarly journals Prepared and highly committed despite the risk of COVID-19 infection: a cross-sectional survey of primary care physicians’ concerns and coping strategies in Singapore

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerrald Lau ◽  
David Hsien-Yung Tan ◽  
Gretel Jianlin Wong ◽  
Yii-Jen Lew ◽  
Ying-Xian Chua ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Stress Management ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pandemic Preparedness ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Accessible Information ◽  
And Coping

Abstract Background Primary care physicians (PCPs) are first points-of-contact between suspected cases and the healthcare system in the current COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines PCPs’ concerns, impact on personal lives and work, and level of pandemic preparedness in the context of COVID-19 in Singapore. We also examine factors and coping strategies that PCPs have used to manage stress during the outbreak. Methods Two hundred and sixteen PCPs actively practicing in either a public or private clinic were cluster sampled via email invitation from three primary care organizations in Singapore from 6th to 29th March 2020. Participants completed a cross-sectional online questionnaire consisting of items on work- and non-work-related concerns, impact on personal and work life, perceived pandemic preparedness, stress-reduction factors, and personal coping strategies related to COVID-19. Results A total of 158 questionnaires were usable for analyses. PCPs perceived themselves to be at high risk of COVID-19 infection (89.9%), and a source of risk (74.7%) and concern (71.5%) to loved ones. PCPs reported acceptance of these risks (91.1%) and the need to care for COVID-19 patients (85.4%). Overall perceived pandemic preparedness was extremely high (75.9 to 89.9%). PCPs prioritized availability of personal protective equipment, strict infection prevention guidelines, accessible information about COVID-19, and well-being of their colleagues and family as the most effective stress management factors. Conclusions PCPs continue to serve willingly on the frontlines of this pandemic despite the high perception of risk to themselves and loved ones. Healthcare organizations should continue to support PCPs by managing both their psychosocial (e.g. stress management) and professional (e.g. pandemic preparedness) needs.

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