title: Reliability of self-reporting of antibiotic consumption in the community - Index of Reliability.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To date, there is no evidence to indicate the reliability of how patients self-report their own antibiotic usage in the community. Such data are fundamental in supporting antimicrobial stewardship practices, and so there is a need to determine its accuracy and reliability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients in the community (n = 476) were required to recollect their antibiotic usage in the past three months. Simultaneously, similar information was obtained by careful extraction from their respective medical notes, which was qualitatively compared with the patient's recollection. Overall, concordance was high (88·1%), but age (<20 and >80 years) and sex (female) were significant factors of reliability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that basic self-reporting of antibiotic usage amongst patients is relatively reliable, with increasing accuracy with years until 80 years. Where such information is critical, the current study can help decide who to interview and whose notes to interrogate, in the quest to obtain reliable and accurate information.
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, UK; Durham University, Durham, UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ferson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leggett
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Coulter
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Goldsmith
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003153:Community Health Services; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009660:Northern Ireland; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: antibiotic consumption; antibiotic resistance; antibiotics; community pharmacy; prescribing