Patient expectations, doctors' prescribing habits, and antimicrobial resistance

(American Academy of Family Physicians) Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory tract infections contributes to antibiotic resistance, making some bacterial infections difficult to treat. This often leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality. Still, many physicians report prescribing antibiotics at their patients' request. To address patients' expectations for antibiotic prescribing for URTIs, researchers conducted an experiment in which study participants were assigned brief educational videos to watch on a tablet immediately prior to their appointment.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news