Does Clinical Error Contribute to Unnecessary Antibiotic Use?

Warren J. McIsaac and Christopher C. Butler

Medical Decision Making, 2000, vol. 20, issue 1, 33-38

Abstract: Patient expectations and physician attitudes are often cited as factors in the overuse of antibiotics. This study examined whether clinical error might also be important. In treating 517 patients with sore throat, family physicians estimated the probability that group A streptococcus infection was present. Two thirds of antibiotics prescribed were to culture-negative patients and therefore considered unnecessary. Physicians overestimated the probability that a group A streptococcal infection was present by an average 33.2% in these cases, compared with 6.9% otherwise (p

Date: 2000
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:medema:v:20:y:2000:i:1:p:33-38

DOI: 10.1177/0272989X0002000104

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