Understanding doctors’ emergency department antibiotic prescribing decisions in children with respiratory symptoms in the UK: a qualitative study
Objective Exploration of the factors that influence hospital doctors’ antibiotic prescribing decisions when treating children with respiratory symptoms in UK emergency departments.Methods A qualitative study using semistructured interviews based on a critical incident technique with 21 physicians of...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2021-12-01
|
| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e051561.full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846129701440978944 |
|---|---|
| author | Thomas Hampton Helen Mary Higgins Jane Ogden |
| author_facet | Thomas Hampton Helen Mary Higgins Jane Ogden |
| author_sort | Thomas Hampton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective Exploration of the factors that influence hospital doctors’ antibiotic prescribing decisions when treating children with respiratory symptoms in UK emergency departments.Methods A qualitative study using semistructured interviews based on a critical incident technique with 21 physicians of different grades and specialties that treat children in the UK. Interviews were audio-recorded then transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.Results Four themes were identified. These themes illustrate factors which influence clinician prescribing. The three principal themes were authorities, pressures and risk. The fourth transcending theme that ran through all themes was clinician awareness and complicity (‘knowing but still doing’).Conclusions Hospital doctors prescribe antibiotics even when they know they should not. This appears to be due to the influence of those in charge or external pressures experienced while weighing up the immediate and longer term risks but clinicians do this with full insight into their actions. These findings have implications for invested parties seeking to develop future antimicrobial stewardship programmes. It is recommended that stewardship interventions acknowledge and target these themes which may in turn facilitate behaviour change and antimicrobial prescribing practice in emergency departments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a221f6b9c689467c9a4cbe831c91bee2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-a221f6b9c689467c9a4cbe831c91bee22024-12-09T23:40:12ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552021-12-01111210.1136/bmjopen-2021-051561Understanding doctors’ emergency department antibiotic prescribing decisions in children with respiratory symptoms in the UK: a qualitative studyThomas Hampton0Helen Mary Higgins1Jane Ogden2Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKDepartment of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UKObjective Exploration of the factors that influence hospital doctors’ antibiotic prescribing decisions when treating children with respiratory symptoms in UK emergency departments.Methods A qualitative study using semistructured interviews based on a critical incident technique with 21 physicians of different grades and specialties that treat children in the UK. Interviews were audio-recorded then transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.Results Four themes were identified. These themes illustrate factors which influence clinician prescribing. The three principal themes were authorities, pressures and risk. The fourth transcending theme that ran through all themes was clinician awareness and complicity (‘knowing but still doing’).Conclusions Hospital doctors prescribe antibiotics even when they know they should not. This appears to be due to the influence of those in charge or external pressures experienced while weighing up the immediate and longer term risks but clinicians do this with full insight into their actions. These findings have implications for invested parties seeking to develop future antimicrobial stewardship programmes. It is recommended that stewardship interventions acknowledge and target these themes which may in turn facilitate behaviour change and antimicrobial prescribing practice in emergency departments.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e051561.full |
| spellingShingle | Thomas Hampton Helen Mary Higgins Jane Ogden Understanding doctors’ emergency department antibiotic prescribing decisions in children with respiratory symptoms in the UK: a qualitative study BMJ Open |
| title | Understanding doctors’ emergency department antibiotic prescribing decisions in children with respiratory symptoms in the UK: a qualitative study |
| title_full | Understanding doctors’ emergency department antibiotic prescribing decisions in children with respiratory symptoms in the UK: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Understanding doctors’ emergency department antibiotic prescribing decisions in children with respiratory symptoms in the UK: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding doctors’ emergency department antibiotic prescribing decisions in children with respiratory symptoms in the UK: a qualitative study |
| title_short | Understanding doctors’ emergency department antibiotic prescribing decisions in children with respiratory symptoms in the UK: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | understanding doctors emergency department antibiotic prescribing decisions in children with respiratory symptoms in the uk a qualitative study |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e051561.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT thomashampton understandingdoctorsemergencydepartmentantibioticprescribingdecisionsinchildrenwithrespiratorysymptomsintheukaqualitativestudy AT helenmaryhiggins understandingdoctorsemergencydepartmentantibioticprescribingdecisionsinchildrenwithrespiratorysymptomsintheukaqualitativestudy AT janeogden understandingdoctorsemergencydepartmentantibioticprescribingdecisionsinchildrenwithrespiratorysymptomsintheukaqualitativestudy |