Patient knowledge and antibiotic abuse
Subtitle: evidence from an audit study in China
By: Janet Currie, Wanchuan Lin, Wei Zhang
Contributors: Lin, Wanchuan; Zhang, Wei; National Bureau of Economic Research
Series: NBER working paper series -- working paper 16602; Working paper series (National Bureau of Economic Research : Online) -- working paper no. 16602.
Publisher: National Bureau of Economic Research
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Cambridge, MA
Language: eng
Format: Electronic resource
Description: "The NBER Bulletin on Aging and Health provides summaries of publications like this.  You can sign up to receive the NBER Bulletin on Aging and Health by email.  We ask how patient knowledge of appropriate antibiotic usage affects both physicians prescribing behavior and the physician-patient relationship.  We conduct an audit study in which a pair of simulated patients with identical flu-like complaints visits the same physician.  Simulated patient A is instructed to ask a question that showcases his/her knowledge of appropriate antibiotic use, whereas patient B is instructed to say nothing beyond describing his/her symptoms.  We find that a patient's knowledge of appropriate antibiotics use reduces both antibiotic prescription rates and drug expenditures.  Such knowledge also increases physicians' information provision about possible side effects, but has a negative impact on the quality of the physician-patient interactions"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site.
Notes: Title from PDF file as viewed on 4/5/2011.

Includes bibliographical references.

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