Table 2.

Interview topics, categories, and themes from discussions with outpatient care providers regarding antibiotic prescribing

Interview Topics	Categories	Themes
Key Factors in Decision Making about Prescribing Antibiotics	Acute clinical presentation	Current Antibiotic Prescribing Practices
	Best practices
	Patient level factors (e.g., age)
	Workflow
Communicating with Patients about Antibiotics	Understanding viral and bacterial infections
	Disease course
	Symptomatic relief
	Signs to watch for
	Follow up
Helping Patients to Feel Better	Over-the-counter medications
	Personal care
	Rest
Perceptions of Patient Knowledge and Experiences	Expectations are high	Provider Perceptions of Patient Knowledge and Awareness
	Want to feel better
	A quick fix
Perceptions of the Problem of Antibiotic Resistance	Largely unaware
	Some peripheral knowledge
	Often disassociate
	Can vary based on demographics
Perceptions of Barriers to Appropriate Prescribing	Patient education
	Patient expectations
	System-level concerns
	Time constraints
Education and Training for Providers	System-wide, evidence-based guidelines	Recommendations for Education, Training, and Reporting
	Decision support tools
Reporting Antibiotic Use to Providers	Multiple forms of delivery (i.e., in person, electronic)
	Align with current reporting practices