Information Resources Used in Antimicrobial Prescribing
- Affiliations of the authors: Medicine Service (JSS, GAF), Pharmacy Service (DD, AS-F), and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research (DBN), Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN; Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (JSS, GAF)
- Correspondence and reprints: Gregory A. Filice, MD, Infectious Disease Section (111F), Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55417; e-mail: <filic001{at}umn.edu>
- Received 31 October 2003
- Accepted 15 March 2004
Abstract
To describe resources clinicians use when they prescribe antimicrobials, the authors surveyed prescribers by telephone within hours (median 2.9) after they ordered one or more antimicrobials for a patient. Among 157 prescribers, 87 (55%) used one or more external resources to aid in decisions about their order. The other 70 (45%) used only their own knowledge and experience. Fifty-nine (38%) consulted another person. Fifty-four (34%) used a print, computer, or Internet resource. In multivariate analysis, use of an external resource was associated with the clinician being on the medical service (odds ratio [OR] 2.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.41–6.3) or being an intern (OR 13.65, 95% CI 1.44–128). Eighty percent of providers said information about antimicrobial prescribing at the point of electronic order entry would be helpful. It was concluded that decision support at the point of electronic order entry is likely to be used and might improve antimicrobial prescribing.
Footnotes
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Presented at the Annual Meeting of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, Salt Lake City, UT, April 6–9, 2002.
