Patient enactment of delayed prescribing of antibiotics
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Patient enactment of delayed prescribing of antibiotics
IRAS ID
206611
Contact name
Jaimie Ellis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
Health policy in the UK has outlined that GPs are to reduce the number of antibiotics they prescribe to patients who have a respiratory tract infection (RTI) (cough, sore throat, ear infections and common cold). This is because antibiotics have been found to have a limited effect on most coughs, sore throats and the common cold. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics has been noted to cause bacterial resistance. Therefore, to help reduce the use of antibiotics among this patient population, and to help preserve the effectiveness of the antibiotics we currently have, GPs are encouraging patients to self-care for such illnesses. As part of this strategy GPs are issuing ‘delayed prescriptions’, where patients are encouraged to self-care but if symptoms persist a number of days patients are advised to use the prescription to acquire antibiotics. These types of prescriptions maybe clearly understood by GPs but we do not know what patients think of them. This study will find out what does ‘delayed prescription for antibiotics’ mean to patients? This will be explored through a short telephone interview carried out within 48hours of patients receiving a delayed prescription for RTI. Furthermore, this study will investigate how and why patients make the decision to ‘cash in’ the prescription to get antibiotics or not. What influences patients’ decision to use antibiotics or not to use antibiotics? Through a method called social network mapping, we will ask people who have received a prescription for antibiotics in the last 3 months to participant; those who take part in the telephone interviews will also take part in this exercise. All participants will be asked to think about, and map, the people they spoke to or the resources they used when making the decision to use or not use antibiotics. The findings from this study will help us to understand patients’ attitudes and behaviours towards antibiotics.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/1119
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jun 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion