Sore throat management practices of Canadian family physicians.
OBJECTIVE
A survey was conducted of Canadian family physicians about their usual sore throat management practices. Physician knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and the effect of selected patient factors on variation in practices was assessed.


RESULTS
The majority of physicians did not follow North American expert recommendations to usually take a throat culture and wait for culture results before prescribing an antibiotic. Similarly to the practices of family physicians in many countries, they favoured a clinical policy of selective use of throat cultures and decisions about the need for antibiotics based on clinical judgement.


CONCLUSIONS
Physician practice site, demographics, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and patient factors did not explain differences in approach. The implications for antibiotic utilization in the management of upper respiratory tract infections are discussed.
McIsaac
W J
WJ
Mount Sinai Family Medical Centre, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada.
Goel
V
V
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002648:Child; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003657:Decision Making; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009864:Ontario; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents