“I'm Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”: Are GPs’ antibiotic prescribing patterns contextually dependent? A qualitative focus group study

OBJECTIVE To explore factors and circumstances contributing to prudent antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections in primary care. DESIGN Two focus groups representing rural and urban areas. A semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions and an editing analysis style was used. They were examined to identify meaning units that were sorted into categories in an iterative process throughout the analysis. SETTING Primary health care in two counties in southern Sweden. SUBJECTS Two groups including seven and six general practitioners (GPs) respectively, men and women of different ages with different professional experiences. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Exploration of categories, determination of themes, construction of models. RESULTS The decision to prescribe antibiotics takes place in the encounter between GP and patient, initially characterized by harmony or fight and the subsequent process by collaboration or negotiation, resulting in agreement, compromise, or disagreement. Several factors influence the meeting and contribute to enhancing the conditions for rational prescribing. These conditions are connected to the GP, the relationship, and the setting; organization as well as professional culture. The findings indicate synergies between the factors, and that one factor can sometimes compensate for lack of another. Continuity and mutual trust can make a brief consultation successful, but lack of continuity can eliminate the effects of knowledge and professional skills. CONCLUSIONS The findings emphasize the importance of the encounter between the GP and the patient for prudent antibiotic prescribing. Furthermore, the importance of an appropriate organization of primary care, which promotes continuity and encourages professional autonomy, is demonstrated.