Can a nationwide media campaign affect antibiotic use?
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of a nationwide media campaign to reduce antibiotic overuse among children.


METHODS
Prospective observational study of the pediatric population of a health maintenance organization (HMO) comparing antibiotic use during the baseline (November 2004-February 2005) and study (November 2005-February 2006) periods.


METHODS
During January 2006 the HMO conducted a media campaign to increase public awareness of the risks of misusing antibiotics, particularly for influenza-like diseases. Antibiotic purchasing rates during specific periods in the study winter were compared with those during corresponding periods in the baseline winter among children diagnosed with upper respiratory infection (URI), otitis media (OM), or pharyngitis. After the intervention, a random subset of the study population was surveyed by telephone to estimate the level of exposure to the campaign and attitudes toward antibiotic use.


RESULTS
The study population consisted of 101,401 children in the baseline winter and 84,979 in the study winter. We noted reductions in antibiotic purchasing for URI, OM, and pharyngitis during the postintervention period compared with the preintervention period (URI odds ratio [OR] = 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.69, 0.81; OM OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.59, 0.72; pharyngitis OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.89, 0.97). Parents of children with URI exposed to the media campaign were more likely to agree with standards of appropriate antibiotic use than parents not exposed (F(1) = 4.18, P = .04).


CONCLUSIONS
A media campaign aimed at changing patient behavior can contribute to reducing the rate of inappropriate antibiotic use.
Hemo
Beatriz
B
Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel. hemo_b@mac.org.il
Shamir-Shtein
Naamah H
NH
Silverman
Barbara G
BG
Tsamir
Judith
J
Heymann
Anthony D
AD
Tsehori
Sharon
S
Friedman
Nurit L
NL
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents