Table 1.
Practice Characteristics and Attitudes Toward Antimicrobial Use Among Survey Respondents (by Specialty)
| Characteristic | ID (n = 19) | Hospitalists (n = 62) | Other Internists (n = 58) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Age | |||
| ≤25 y, no. (%) | (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| 26–35 y, no. (%) | 5 (26.3) | 17 (27.4) | 11 (19) |
| 36–45 y, no. (%) | 5 (26.3) | 25 (40.3) | 16 (27.6) |
| 46–55 y, no. (%) | 3 (15.8) | 10 (16.1) | 12 (20.7) |
| 56–65 y, no. (%) | 2 (10.5) | 4 (6.5) | 9 (15.5) |
| >65 y, no. (%) | 3 (15.8) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.7) |
| No answer, no. (%) | 1 (5.3) | 6 (9.7) | 9 (15.5) |
| Sex | |||
| Male, no. (%) | 14 (73.7) | 30 (48.4) | 27 (46.6) |
| Female, no. (%) | 3 (15.8) | 27 (43.5) | 22 (37.9) |
| Practice characteristics | |||
| Years since completing clinical training, median (range) | 6 (1–46) | 7 (0–34) | 13 (0–38) |
| Years practicing within VA, median (range) | 6 (1.5–46) | 5 (0.5–23) | 7 (0.5–38) |
| Full-time practice at VA, no. (%) | 14 (73.7) | 45 (72.6) | 46 (79.3) |
| % Time spent in clinical care, median (range)* | 50 (15–100) | 65 (0–100) | 50 (0–100) |
| % Clinical time spent on inpatient care, median (range)** | 75 (33–100) | 100 (0–100) | 40 (2–100) |
| Attitudes toward antimicrobial use, Likert a mean (SD) | |||
| Antibiotics are overused nationally | 4.74 (0.45) | 4.63 (0.48) | 4.44 (0.66) |
| Antibiotics are overused by clinicians at my facility* | 4.32 (0.67) | 3.63 (0.73) | 3.72 (0.77) |
| Better use of antibiotics will reduce problems with antibiotic-resistant organisms | 4.63 (0.50) | 4.53 (0.59) | 4.60 (0.53) |
| Strong knowledge of antibiotics is important in my medical career | 4.84 (0.37) | 4.74 (0.44) | 4.55 (0.57) |
| Prescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics when equally effective narrower-spectrum antibiotics are available increases antibiotic resistance | 4.53 (0.61) | 4.56 (0.64) | 4.59 (0.56) |
| Hand washing/cleaning practices are not utilized to the recommended extent at my facility | 3.37 (1.30) | 2.73 (1.16) | 2.59 (1.08) |
| Inappropriate use of antibiotics can harm patients | 4.84 (0.37) | 4.72 (0.49) | 4.62 (0.53) |
| The harm of antibiotic overuse in livestock is exaggerated* | 1.37 (0.50) | 1.87 (0.82) | 2.16 (0.81) |
| The harm of antibiotic overuse in humans is exaggerated | 1.58 (0.77) | 1.58 (0.76) | 1.81 (0.85) |
| At your facility, how much of an obstacle or benefit are antimicrobial stewardship programs to good patient care? | |||
| Considerable benefit, no. (%) | 6 (31.6) | 24 (38.7) | 22 (37.9) |
| Moderate benefit, no. (%) | 9 (47.4) | 20 (32.3) | 13 (22.4) |
| Others, no. (%) | 4 (21) | 18 (29) | 23 (39.7) |
| What is your overall satisfaction with the assistance you have received from your facility regarding antibiotic prescribing for your inpatients over the past 12 months? | |||
| Very satisfied, no. (%) | 8 (42.1) | 26 (41.9) | 23 (39.7) |
| Satisfied, no. (%) | 8 (42.1) | 22 (35.5) | 21 (36.2) |
| Others, no. (%) | 3 (15.8) | 14 (22.6) | 14 (24.1) |
Note. VA, Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
*P < .05; **P < .001.
a
Likert scale: 1, strongly disagree; 2, disagree; 3, neutral; 4, agree; 5, strongly agree.