Also, it shows that patient satisfaction increases in direct proportion to the health care provider’s commitment to educating patients about self-care and symptom management for conditions where antibiotics are unnecessary. Evidence shows that patient satisfaction does not increase by fulfilling a patient’s or parent’s expectation of receiving an antibiotics prescription when requested.

Following are resources for health care professionals to support their judicious use of antibiotics.

Hot Topics

Antimicrobial prescription data reveal wide geographic variability in antimicrobial use in the United States. See abstract

Workshop on Molecular Diagnostics for Respiratory Tract Infections Electronic Table of Contents. See abstract

Combating antimicrobial resistance: IDSA releases policy recommendations to save lives. See abstract

• Free online training (CME) - Otitis Media                                                                 ePROM: Enhancing Proficiency in Otitis Media is a series of six online courses to improve knowledge in understanding middle ear disease and skill in visually diagnosing middle ear effusions.  The courses were developed at the Hospital of Pittsburgh/University of Pittsburgh with support from the CDC.
• Weighing in on Antibiotic Resistance: Community Pharmacists Tip the Scale
  A free 1 hour continuing education course for pharmacists created and sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and accredited by ACPE.
  Expires 12/20/2012
• Common Cold, Influenza, and the Pharmacist: Rational Self-Care Recommendations                                                                                                               A free 2 hour continuing education course accredited by ACPE for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Sponsored by Postgraduate Healthcare Education, LLC.
  Expires 02/29/2012

Treatment Algorithms

These algorithms were developed in cooperation with the Infectious Diseases Society of Oregon. They amalgamate the recommendations of the US Centers for Disease Control, the American College of Physicians/American Society for Internal Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

• Bronchitis (for children) (pdf)
• Bronchitis (for adults) (pdf)
• Pharyngitis (for adults and children) (pdf)
• Sinusitis (for children) (pdf)
• Sinusitis (for adults) (pdf)
• Otitis media (for children) (pdf)
• Community-Acquired Pneumonia (for Adults) (pdf)

Resources

• Treatment guides for URIs (patient information)
• Judicious Use of Antibiotics: A Guide for Oregon Clinicians (pdf) - Guidelines for Nurses, Physicians and PAs
• Get AWARE Patient Education Materials for Oregon Clinicians
• Selected References (for health care professionals)
  

Internet Resources

• Oregon's Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs): surveillance for group A and B streptococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcal aureus
• CDC's Antibiotic Resistance Background Papers for Clinicians
• NIH Antimicrobial Resistance Facts
• CDC's Antimicrobial Resistance In Healthcare Settings
• Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics