Why do hospital prescribers continue antibiotics when it is safe to stop? Results of a choice experiment survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Deciding whether to discontinue antibiotics at early review is a cornerstone of hospital antimicrobial stewardship practice worldwide. In England, this approach is described in government guidance ('Start Smart then Focus'). However, < 10% of hospital antibiotic prescriptions are discontinued at review, despite evidence that 20-30% could be discontinued safely. We aimed to quantify the relative importance of factors influencing prescriber decision-making at review.

Methods

We conducted an online choice experiment, a survey method to elicit preferences. Acute/general hospital prescribers in England were asked if they would continue or discontinue antibiotic treatment in 15 hypothetical scenarios. Scenarios were described according to six attributes, including patie

SUBMITTER: Roope LSJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7391515 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature