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Hanson OR, Khan II, Khan ZH, Amin MA, Biswas D, Islam MT, Nelson EJ, Ahmed SM, Brintz BJ, Hegde ST, Qadri F, Watt MH, Leung DT, Khan AI. Identification, mapping, and self-reported practice patterns of village doctors in Sitakunda subdistrict, Bangladesh. J Glob Health 2024; 14:04185. [PMID: 39268667 PMCID: PMC11393791 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.14.04185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Informally trained health care providers, such as village doctors in Bangladesh, are crucial in providing health care services to the rural poor in low- and middle-income countries. Despite being one of the primary vendors of antibiotics in rural Bangladesh, village doctors often have limited knowledge about appropriate antibiotic use, leading to varied and potentially inappropriate dispensing and treatment practices. In this study, we aimed to identify, map, and survey village doctors in the Sitakunda subdistrict of Bangladesh to understand their distribution, practice characteristics, clinical behaviours, access to technologies, and use of these technologies for clinical decision-making. Methods Using a 'snowball' sampling method, we identified and mapped 411 village doctors, with 371 agreeing to complete a structured survey. Results The median distance between a residential household and the closest village doctor practice was 0.37 km, and over half of the practices (51.2%) were within 100 m of the major highway. Village doctors were predominately male (98.7%), with a median age of 39. After completing village doctor training, 39.4% had completed an internship, with a median of 15 years of practice experience. Village doctors reported seeing a median of 84 patients per week, including a median of five paediatric diarrhoea cases per week. They stocked a range of antibiotics, with ciprofloxacin and metronidazole being the most prescribed for diarrhoea. Most had access to phones with an internet connection and used online resources for clinical decision-making and guidance. Conclusions The findings provide insights into the characteristics and practices of village doctors and point to the potential for internet and phone-based interventions to improve patient care and reduce inappropriate antibiotic use in this health care provider group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia R Hanson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Ishtiakul I Khan
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Zahid Hasan Khan
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Ashraful Amin
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Debashish Biswas
- School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
- Health System and Population Studies Division, International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Taufiqul Islam
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Eric J Nelson
- Departments of Pediatrics and Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Sharia M Ahmed
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Ben J Brintz
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Sonia T Hegde
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Firdausi Qadri
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Melissa H Watt
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Daniel T Leung
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Ashraful I Khan
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Murray JL, Leung DT, Hanson OR, Ahmed SM, Pavia AT, Khan AI, Szymczak JE, Vaughn VM, Patel PK, Biswas D, Watt MH. Drivers of inappropriate use of antimicrobials in South Asia: A systematic review of qualitative literature. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 4:e0002507. [PMID: 38573955 PMCID: PMC10994369 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health crisis. Effective antimicrobial stewardship requires an understanding of the factors and context that contribute to inappropriate use of antimicrobials. The goal of this qualitative systematic review was to synthesize themes across levels of the social ecological framework that drive inappropriate use of antimicrobials in South Asia. In September 2023, we conducted a systematic search using the electronic databases PubMed and Embase. Search terms, identified a priori, were related to research methods, topic, and geographic location. We identified 165 articles from the initial search and 8 upon reference review (n = 173); after removing duplicates and preprints (n = 12) and excluding those that did not meet eligibility criteria (n = 115), 46 articles were included in the review. We assessed methodological quality using the qualitative Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist. The studies represented 6 countries in South Asia, and included data from patients, health care providers, community members, and policy makers. For each manuscript, we wrote a summary memo to extract the factors that impede antimicrobial stewardship. We coded memos using NVivo software; codes were organized by levels of the social ecological framework. Barriers were identified at multiple levels including the patient (self-treatment with antimicrobials; perceived value of antimicrobials), the provider (antimicrobials as a universal therapy; gaps in knowledge and skills; financial or reputational incentives), the clinical setting (lack of resources; poor regulation of the facility), the community (access to formal health care; informal drug vendors; social norms), and policy (absence of a regulatory framework; poor implementation of existing policies). This study is the first to succinctly identify a range of norms, behaviors, and policy contexts driving inappropriate use of antimicrobials in South Asia, emphasizing the importance of working across multiple sectors to design and implement approaches specific to the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Murray
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Daniel T. Leung
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Olivia R. Hanson
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Sharia M. Ahmed
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Andrew T. Pavia
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Ashraful I. Khan
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Julia E. Szymczak
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Valerie M. Vaughn
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Payal K. Patel
- Department of Internal Medicine, Intermountain Health, Murray, Utah, United States of America
| | - Debashish Biswas
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Melissa H. Watt
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
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3
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Murray JL, Leung DT, Hanson OR, Ahmed SM, Pavia AT, Khan AI, Szymczak JE, Vaughn VM, Patel PK, Biswas D, Watt MH. Drivers of inappropriate use of antimicrobials in South Asia: A systematic review of qualitative literature. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.09.28.23296313. [PMID: 37808732 PMCID: PMC10557824 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.28.23296313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health crisis. Effective antimicrobial stewardship requires an understanding of the factors and context that contribute to inappropriate use of antimicrobials. The goal of this qualitative systematic review was to synthesize themes across levels of the social ecological framework that drive inappropriate use of antimicrobials in South Asia. In September 2023, we conducted a systematic search using the electronic databases PubMed and Embase. Search terms, identified a priori, were related to research methods, topic, and geographic location. We identified 165 articles from the initial search and 8 upon reference review (n=173); after removing duplicates and preprints (n=12) and excluding those that did not meet eligibility criteria (n=115), 46 articles were included in the review. We assessed methodological quality using the qualitative Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist. The studies represented 6 countries in South Asia, and included data from patients, health care providers, community members, and policy makers. For each manuscript, we wrote a summary memo to extract the factors that impede antimicrobial stewardship. We coded memos using NVivo software; codes were organized by levels of the social ecological framework. Barriers were identified at multiple levels including the patient (self-treatment with antimicrobials; perceived value of antimicrobials), the provider (antimicrobials as a universal therapy; gaps in knowledge and skills; financial or reputational incentives), the clinical setting (lack of resources; poor regulation of the facility), the community (access to formal health care; informal drug vendors; social norms), and policy (absence of a regulatory framework; poor implementation of existing policies). The findings highlight the importance of working across multiple sectors to design and implement approaches to antimicrobial stewardship in South Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Murray
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
- School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Daniel T. Leung
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Olivia R. Hanson
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Sharia M. Ahmed
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Andrew T. Pavia
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Ashraful I. Khan
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Julia E. Szymczak
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Valerie M. Vaughn
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Payal K. Patel
- Department of Internal Medicine, Intermountain Health, Murray, UT
| | - Debashish Biswas
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Melissa H. Watt
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
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Rynkiewich K, Uttla K, Hojat L. Instant Gratification and Overtreating to Be Safe: Perceptions of U.S. Intensive Care Unit Pharmacists and Residents on Antimicrobial Stewardship. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:1224. [PMID: 36140003 PMCID: PMC9495149 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11091224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial stewardship programs have been associated with numerous impacts on medical practice including reductions in costs, antimicrobial resistance, and adverse events. While antimicrobial stewardship is now considered an essential element of medical practice, the understandings of the value of antimicrobial stewardship among medical practitioners vary. Additionally, non-physician practitioners are regularly left out of antimicrobial stewardship interventions targeting antimicrobial decision-making. Here, we contribute the perspective from resident physicians and specialists in pharmacy regarding their involvement in antimicrobial prescribing. Notably, our semi-structured interviews with 10 residents and pharmacy specialists described their limited autonomy in the clinical setting. However, the participants regularly worked alongside primary antimicrobial decision-makers and described feeling pressure to overtreat to be safe. The clear rationales and motivations associated with antimicrobial prescribing have a noticeable impact on physicians in training and non-physician practitioners, and as such, we argue that antimicrobial stewardship interventions targeting primary antimicrobial decision-makers are missing an opportunity to address the breadth of antimicrobial prescribing culture. By looking at the perspectives and rationales of physicians in training and non-physician practitioners, we can see evidence that the act of antimicrobial prescribing is impacted by individuals on all levels of the hierarchies present in medical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Rynkiewich
- Department of Anthropology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Kruthika Uttla
- Department of Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Leila Hojat
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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Gunasekara YD, Kinnison T, Kottawatta SA, Kalupahana RS, Silva-Fletcher A. Exploring Barriers to One Health Antimicrobial Stewardship in Sri Lanka: A Qualitative Study among Healthcare Professionals. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:968. [PMID: 35884221 PMCID: PMC9311535 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11070968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat, but little is known about the perceptions regarding antimicrobials and AMR among healthcare professionals in Sri Lanka. This research aimed to take a One Health approach to explore the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of antibiotic stewardship and AMR among healthcare professionals in Sri Lanka. A qualitative study, using telephone interviews, allowing for an in-depth exploration of attitudes, beliefs and perspectives was conducted. Healthcare professionals from both the medical and veterinary sectors were included (n = 29). Interviews were conducted by an independent interviewer and were audio-recorded and transcribed. Conventional qualitative content analysis was undertaken. Four main categories were identified: (1) understanding of AMR and observing AMR, (2) barriers to antimicrobial stewardship, (3) personal factors in, and as a result of, inappropriate antibiotic usage and (4) how to tackle AMR. Healthcare professionals showed poor awareness regarding the spread of AMR and identified inappropriate prescribing behaviours by their inter- and intra-professional colleagues. Patient demands and the influence of pharmaceutical companies were factors contributing to poor prescribing behaviour. Suggestions for the future are stricter regulation of AMR control policy, effective government involvement, and awareness campaigns for healthcare professionals and the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasodhara Deepachandi Gunasekara
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka; (S.A.K.); (R.S.K.)
| | - Tierney Kinnison
- Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London NW1 0TU, UK; (T.K.); (A.S.-F.)
| | - Sanda Arunika Kottawatta
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka; (S.A.K.); (R.S.K.)
| | - Ruwani Sagarika Kalupahana
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka; (S.A.K.); (R.S.K.)
| | - Ayona Silva-Fletcher
- Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London NW1 0TU, UK; (T.K.); (A.S.-F.)
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