Table 2.
Attitudes and knowledge of doctors towards antibiotic use and patients with the common cold
| YG | NY | JN | Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CH | THC | VC | CH | THC | VC | CH | THC | VC | CH | THC | VC | |
| No. of doctors | 20 | 22 | 9 | 20 | 40 | 11 | 20 | 36 | 10 | 60 | 98 | 30 |
| Self-reported behaviour of doctors for patients with symptoms of the common cold: | ||||||||||||
| Would recommend to drink water and rest (%) | 75 | 73 | 100 | 100 | 74 | 73 | 85 | 89 | 40 | 87 | 79 | 70 |
| Would give an analgesic, antipyretic or antiviral (%) | 55 | 68 | 67 | 30 | 74 | 73 | 80 | 75 | 80 | 55 | 73 | 73 |
| Would use antibiotics (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Would still refuse to give antibiotics if a patient insisted on receiving antibiotics (%) | 80 | 95 | 100 | 100 | 78 | 82 | 50 | 94 | 80 | 77 | 88 | 87 |
| General attitudes and knowledege of doctors towards antibiotics: | ||||||||||||
| Believe that newer antibiotics are more effective (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Believe that broader specturm antibiotics are more effective (%) | 16 | 18 | 22 | 0 | 15 | 40 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 21 |
| Are aware that antibiotic treatment guidelines exist at a county or hospital level (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 95 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 98 | 100 |
| Are aware that different levels of doctor have different prescribing rights for antibiotics (%) | 100 | 100 | 67 | 100 | 79 | 55 | 95 | 86 | 67 | 98 | 86 | 62 |
| Have clinical experience of resistant bacteria (%) | 90 | 59 | 89 | 85 | 44 | 40 | 74 | 92 | 80 | 83 | 66 | 69 |
| Have participated in training on the use of antibiotics since starting work as a doctor (%) | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 18 | 50 | 6 | 20 | 23 | 12 | 13 |
Abbreviations: CH County Hospital, THC Township Health Centre, VC Village Clinic.