title: Inequality in quality? Regional and educational differences in treatment with fluoroquinolone in urinary tract infection of 236,376 Swedish patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In an international effort to reduce antibiotic resistance, in part suggested to be the effect of inappropriate antibiotic use, several quality indicators for outpatient antibiotic use have been proposed. In this study, geographical and educational differences in fluoroquinolone prescription in the treatment of urinary tract infection in women are presented.
  
  
  METHODS
  The age-adjusted ratio of women who were dispensed fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin or norfloxacin) among all 236,376 women dispensed any of the following antibiotics used in the treatment of lower urinary tract infection were studied: ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, pivmecillinam, trimethoprim and nitrofurantoin. Only the first prescription during July 2006 to June 2007 was studied. Prescription data were linked to information on geographical area, marital status, country of birth and educational attainment, which allowed multivariate analysis of the importance of these factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of fluoroquinolone prescription varied from 29.5% to 17.1% in the 21 regions in Sweden. Middle-aged women with ≥15 years of schooling were more often prescribed fluoroquinolones compared to those with only 9 years (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.34).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quality indicators in healthcare should be developed bearing in mind the overall level of adherence to guidelines and whether there are regional or socioeconomic or other differentials in their distribution in the population because such differentials in healthcare quality might further contribute to inequalities in health.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiology, National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm 106 30, Sweden. rickard.ljung@socialstyrelsen.se
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ljung
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reimers
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ericsson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burström
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000561:Amdinocillin Pivoxil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000892:Anti-Infective Agents, Urinary / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D024841:Fluoroquinolones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009582:Nitrofurantoin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009643:Norfloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D020379:Risk Adjustment; D012923:Social Class; D013548:Sweden; D014295:Trimethoprim / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000892:Anti-Infective Agents, Urinary; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D000561:Amdinocillin Pivoxil; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D009582:Nitrofurantoin; D014295:Trimethoprim; D009643:Norfloxacin