title: Antibiotic resistance: a survey of physician perceptions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antibiotic resistance is caused partly by excessive antibiotic prescribing, yet little is known about prescribers' views on this problem.
  
  
  METHODS
  We surveyed 490 internal medicine physicians at 4 Chicago-area hospitals to assess their attitudes about the importance of antibiotic resistance, knowledge of its prevalence, self-reported experience with antibiotic resistance, beliefs about its causes, and attitudes about interventions designed to address the problem.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 87% (424 of 490 physicians). Antibiotic resistance was perceived as a very important national problem by 87% of the respondents, but only 55% rated the problem as very important at their own hospitals. Nearly all physicians (97%) believed that widespread and inappropriate antibiotic use were important causes of resistance. Yet, only 60% favored restricting use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, although this percentage varied by hospital and physician group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although most physicians view antibiotic resistance as a serious national problem, perceptions about its local importance, its causes, and possible solutions vary more widely. Disparities in physician knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes may compromise efforts to improve antibiotic prescribing and infection control practices.
authors.affiliation: Collaborative Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Cook County Hospital, Room 1600, Administration Building, 1900 W Polk St, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: C William
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wester
authors.forename: Lakshmi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Durairaj
authors.forename: Arthur T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Shahid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Husain
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martinez
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004363:Drug Utilization; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents