Pushy Patients Or Pushy Providers? Effect Of Patient Knowledge On Antibiotic Prescribing In Tanzania

• DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01782
• Publication Date: 2022-08-17T18:41:32Z
• Authors: Jessica King; Timothy Powell-Ja...; James Hargreaves; Christina Makungu; Catherine Goodman
• Keywords: 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most serious threats to global health, but little progress has been made in reversing its spread. Inappropriate use antibiotics humans a major driver antimicrobial resistance, and rates are high growing lower- middle-income countries. Antibiotics thought be subject supplier-induced demand, whereby providers prescribe them patients who do not know they unnecessary. We conducted randomized field experiment 227 private health facilities Tanzania, with standardized presenting uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection symptoms. Standardized were randomly assigned express knowledge (informed) or (uninformed) that required treat them. There was very rate inappropriate antibiotic prescription, 86.0 percent informed 94.8 uninformed prescribed an antibiotic, for adjusted difference 7.8 percentage points between groups. This small effect suggests broader systems factors at play interventions should aimed systems, facilities, providers.