The report cites a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in which researchers found healthcare professionals are not immune to what psychologists call “decision fatigue.” This phenomenon causes those making repetitive decisions to increasingly take the easiest or safest option to move on. For physicians, the easiest option is jotting a quick prescription for antibiotics.
The study found 2 of 3 patients with acute respiratory diagnoses were prescribed antibiotics even if they were not necessary. In the second hour of practice, the probability of a physician writing a prescription for antibiotics increased 1 percent from the first hour. However, by the third hour, the probability increased to 14 percent and jumped to 26 percent in the fourth.
More than 21,000 acute respiratory diagnoses in an 18-month sample period from the Boston area were analyzed for the study.
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Why physicians are going digital for drug education
Ensuring physician career satisfaction and success: A new model
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