Table 1.
Bivariable comparisons of patient, provider, and visit characteristics by indication type. Values are percentages (95% CI) unless stated otherwise
| Characteristics | Overall | Indication type | P value* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appropriate | Inappropriate | No indication | |||
| Overall proportion | - | 57 (52 to 62) | 25 (21 to 29) | 18 (15 to 22) | - |
| Patients | |||||
| Sex: | 0.54 | ||||
| Male | 61 (56 to 66) | 54 (48 to 60) | 29 (24 to 34) | 17 (12 to 22) | |
| Female | 39 (34 to 44) | 59 (52 to 65) | 23 (18 to 27) | 19 (15 to 23) | |
| Age, years: | <0.001 | ||||
| <18 | 21 (16 to 27) | 78 (72 to 84) | 13 (7 to 19) | 8 (5 to 11) | |
| 18-64 | 56 (50 to 63) | 56 (48 to 63) | 24 (19 to 29) | 20 (15 to 25) | |
| ≥65 | 22 (19 to 26) | 40 (32 to 47) | 38 (31 to 45) | 22 (16 to 28) | |
| Race/ethnicity: | 0.35 | ||||
| Non-Hispanic white | 58 (51 to 66) | 56 (51 to 62) | 25 (21 to 29) | 18 (14 to 23) | |
| Non-Hispanic black | 15 (11 to 18) | 50 (41 to 59) | 26 (18 to 33) | 24 (17 to 31) | |
| Hispanic | 19 (14 to 24) | 59 (50 to 68) | 27 (18 to 36) | 14 (8 to 19) | |
| Other non-Hispanic | 8 (2 to 14) | 67 (40 to 93) | 17 (2 to 33) | 16 (2 to 31) | |
| Payment type: | 0.26 | ||||
| Private insurance | 49 (43 to 54) | 62 (56 to 68) | 22 (18 to 27) | 16 (12 to 20) | |
| Medicare/Medicaid | 39 (34 to 45) | 48 (43 to 54) | 30 (26 to 35) | 21 (17 to 26) | |
| Self pay | 5 (1 to 8) | 74 (49 to 99) | 15 (0 to 30) | 11 (0 to 24) | |
| Other/missing | 7 (1 to 14) | 60 (41 to 78) | 20 (10 to 30) | 20 (10 to 31) | |
| Chronic disease: | 0.005 | ||||
| Yes | 56 (50 to 62) | 50 (43 to 56) | 29 (24 to 34) | 22 (17 to 27) | |
| No | 44 (38 to 50) | 66 (61 to 71) | 20 (16 to 24) | 14 (10 to 17) | |
| Providers | |||||
| Geographic region: | 0.92 | ||||
| West | 21 (15 to 27) | 63 (49 to 77) | 18 (11 to 26) | 19 (11 to 26) | |
| Midwest | 17 (13 to 22) | 56 (47 to 65) | 22 (17 to 26) | 17 (13 to 20) | |
| North east | 24 (17 to 31) | 48 (41 to 56) | 34 (27 to 42) | 17 (11 to 23) | |
| South | 38 (30 to 47) | 59 (51 to 68) | 22 (17 to 26) | 19 (12 to 26) | |
| Specialty category: | <0.001 | ||||
| Primary care | 60 (52 to 68) | 69 (64 to 75) | 18 (14 to 23) | 12 (9 to 16) | |
| Common antibiotic. prescribers† | 14 (10 to 18) | 43 (38 to 49) | 32 (28 to 36) | 24 (18 to 31) | |
| All other specialties | 25 (19 to 32) | 35 (18 to 52) | 36 (24 to 48) | 29 (18 to 39) | |
| Ownership type: | 0.092 | ||||
| Physician or physician group | 77 (69 to 84) | 54 (48 to 61) | 27 (22 to 31) | 19 (15 to 24) | |
| Medical/academic center | 7 (3 to 11) | 62 (46 to 77) | 18 (7 to 28) | 21 (13 to 28) | |
| Insurance company/HMO/other | 16 (10 to 23) | 67 (59 to 75) | 21 (12 to 30) | 12 (7 to 17) | |
| Visits | |||||
| Primary care physician: | 0.004 | ||||
| Yes | 52 (44 to 59) | 70 (64 to 76) | 17 (13 to 20) | 14 (10 to 17) | |
| No | 47 (39 to 54) | 42 (34 to 51) | 34 (28 to 41) | 23 (17 to 29) | |
| Median time with provider, min: | 0.023 | ||||
| <17 | 48 (42 to 54) | 65 (59 to 72) | 20 (16 to 24) | 15 (11 to 19) | |
| ≥17 | 52 (46 to 58) | 49 (43 to 55) | 30 (24 to 35) | 21 (17 to 26) | |
| Culture taken: | <0.001 | ||||
| Yes | 11 (6 to 16) | 71 (60 to 82) | 24 (12 to 37) | 5 (1 to 9) | |
| No | 89 (84 to 94) | 55 (49 to 61) | 25 (21 to 29) | 20 (16 to 24) | |
| Antibiotic class: | <0.001 | ||||
| Cephalosporins | 12 (9 to 14) | 64 (53 to 75) | 16 (10 to 23) | 20 (12 to 27) | |
| Macrolides | 18 (12 to 23) | 67 (57 to 78) | 19 (11 to 26) | 14 (7 to 21) | |
| Miscellaneous | 9 (7 to 11) | 44 (35 to 54) | 32 (22 to 43) | 23 (16 to 31) | |
| Penicillins | 23 (19 to 26) | 72 (64 to 79) | 18 (12 to 23) | 11 (7 to 15) | |
| Quinolones | 20 (16 to 24) | 42 (32 to 52) | 38 (29 to 47) | 20 (13 to 28) | |
| Sulfonamides | 2 (0 to 3) | 32 (3 to 61) | 16 (1 to 31) | 52 (17 to 87) | |
| Tetracyclines | 7 (6 to 9) | 51 (41 to 62) | 30 (21 to 39) | 18 (10 to 26) | |
| Urinary anti-infectives | 4 (2 to 6) | 33 (21 to 45) | 33 (18 to 48) | 34 (21 to 47) | |
| Other‡ | 5 (4 to 8) | 55 (44 to 67) | 25 (15 to 34) | 20 (9 to 31) | |
| Main reason for visit: | <0.001 | ||||
| New problem | 54 (49 to 59) | 71 (65 to 77) | 20 (16 to 24) | 9 (12 to 27) | |
| Chronic problem, routine | 19 (15 to 22) | 45 (33 to 57) | 29 (21 to 37) | 26 (16 to 36) | |
| Chronic problem, flare-up | 7 (4 to 10) | 50 (35 to 65) | 32 (23 to 42) | 18 (7 to 29) | |
| Pre-surgery | 2 (1 to 3) | 3 (0 to 5) | 68 (53 to 84) | 29 (14 to 44) | |
| Post-surgery | 8 (4 to 12) | 43 (30 to 56) | 37 (23 to 50) | 21 (9 to 32) | |
| Preventive care | 10 (7 to 12) | 31 (19 to 43) | 21 (13 to 29) | 49 (37 to 60) | |
HMO=health maintenance organization.
*
Rao-Scott χ2 P value for any (appropriate or inappropriate) versus no indication.
†
Includes gynecologists, dermatologists, urologists, and otolaryngologists.
‡
Includes carbapenems, leprostatics, aminoglycosides, lincomycin derivatives, glycylcyclines, and glycopeptide antibiotics.