Widespread inappropriate antibiotic use for upper respiratory infections (URI) is a leading cause for antibiotic resistance, with studies indicating that one-half of all antibiotics prescribed for URIs are unwarranted. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a community- based antibiotic educational program to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use in a rural western county.
The specific aims are to: 1) Describe antibiotic prescribing patterns for URIs in Albany County, WY; 2) determine the predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling constructs that lead to inappropriate use of antibiotics for URIs in Albany County; 3) develop and implement community-based educational interventions to discourage inappropriate antibiotic use for URIs in Albany County; and 4) evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions on the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of the residents and health care providers of Albany County. Using the steps and phases outlined in Green and Kreuter PRECEDE- PROCEED model, a quasi-experimental design is proposed that employs repeated measures with an historical control and a community-wide educational intervention. Albany County, WY will serve as the community of study. Observations will be made prior to, immediately after, and one year after the implementation of the six month intervention phase, using data obtained from lay-public and health care provider questionnaires, as well as antibiotic prescribing information obtained from computerized Wyoming State Medicaid and private health insurance records. Additionally, formal, semi-structured personal and focus, group interviews, informed by grounded theory, will be conducted and analyzed to help plan for an guide the questionnaire development and the educational intervention.
| Hart, Anne Marie; Pepper, Ginette A; Gonzales, Ralph (2006) Balancing acts: deciding for or against antibiotics in acute respiratory infections. J Fam Pract 55:320-5 |
