Knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding antibiotic prescription by medical interns: a qualitative study in Spain

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is an issue of growing importance in the public health sphere. Medical interns are of great relevance when it comes to the source of this problem. This study therefore sought to ascertain which factors influence the management of antibiotic therapy by this population, in order to pinpoint the possible causes of misprescribing habits. We conducted a qualitative study based on focus group techniques, with groups consisting of medical interns from the Santiago de Compostela Clinical University Teaching Hospital. Our study identified factors which the participants considered to be determinants of antibiotic use and their relationship with the appearance of resistance. The single most repeated factor was the influence of the attending physician’s judgement; other factors included a high healthcare burden or prescribing inertia. This stage is an opportunity to correct misprescribing habits, by implementing educational interventions aimed at modifying the identified factors.