A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Do Patients' Psychosocial Characteristics Impact Antibiotic Prescription Rates?
Authors: Stenlund Säde, Mâsse Louise C., Stenlund David, Sillanmäki Lauri, Appelt Kirstin C., Koivumaa-Honkanen Heli, Rautava Päivi, Suominen Sakari, Patrick David M.
Publisher: MDPI
Publication year: 2023
Journal: Antibiotics
Journal name in source: ANTIBIOTICS-BASEL
Journal acronym: ANTIBIOTICS-BASEL
Article number: 1022
Volume: 12
Number of pages: 11
ISSN: 2079-6382
eISSN: 2079-6382
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12061022
Web address : https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12061022
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/180436206
Previous research suggests that the characteristics of both patients and physicians can contribute to the overuse of antibiotics. Until now, patients' psychosocial characteristics have not been widely explored as a potential contributor to the overuse of antibiotics. In this study, the relationship between a patient's psychosocial characteristics (self-reported in postal surveys in 2003) and the number of antibiotics they were prescribed (recorded in Finnish national registry data between 2004-2006) were analyzed for 19,300 working-aged Finns. Psychosocial characteristics included life satisfaction, a sense of coherence, perceived stress, hostility, and optimism. In a structural equation model, patients' adverse psychosocial characteristics were not related to increased antibiotic prescriptions in the subsequent three years. However, these characteristics were strongly associated with poor general health status, which in turn was associated with an increased number of subsequent antibiotic prescriptions. Furthermore, mediation analysis showed that individuals who used healthcare services more frequently also received more antibiotic prescriptions. The current study does not support the view that patients' adverse psychosocial characteristics are related to an increased number of antibiotic prescriptions. This could encourage physicians to actively discuss treatment options with their patients.
Downloadable publication This is an electronic reprint of the original article. |  |
