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Help seeking for antibiotics; is the influence of a personal social network relevant?

Help seeking for antibiotics; is the influence of a personal social network relevant?
Help seeking for antibiotics; is the influence of a personal social network relevant?
Background: health policy focuses on reducing antibiotic prescribing that in order to succeed requires the public to hold similar attitudes towards judicious use. Social network influences on health behaviour and attitudes are well established and yet these influences are not sufficiently acknowledged in the UK’s antibiotic stewardship programmes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate individuals’ attitudes and behaviours towards antibiotics and also identify the social network influences on these in the process of help seeking for self-limiting illnesses.

Methods: from a social network approach the methods used were a personal community mapping exercise which was carried out ahead of a semi-structured interview. A purposive sample was drawn from across the Wessex region and participants were recruited via GP practices and pharmacists. In total 14 adults, and 10 parents of children, who had received a prescription for antibiotics for a self-limiting illness within the three months preceding the interview were recruited and interviewed.

Results: three network types were identified; diverse, family and friend and restricted. The type of network an individual has appears to have an influence on antibiotic attitudes and behaviours. Most notably, the more diverse a network the more likely the individual will delay in help seeking from healthcare professionals as they draw upon self-care strategies advised by network members. The role of the GP varies according to network type too. Individuals’ with diverse networks draw upon GP network members to provide clarity and certainty following a period of self-care. People with restricted networks are more reliant upon the GP, seek help quicker and also more likely to prioritise the GPs advice over other sources of information.

Conclusion: the understanding a social network approach brings to help seeking behaviour for antibiotics could help practitioners modify their consultation approach to mitigate some uncertainties and perceptions around prescribing behaviour.
1471-2296
Ellis, Jaimie
eb60a3a4-281b-4895-9583-4d5cf1e65b4d
Vassilev, Ivaylo
d76a5531-4ddc-4eb2-909b-a2a1068f05f3
Kennedy, Anne
e059c1c7-d6d0-41c8-95e1-95e5273b07f8
Moore, Michael
a55a274a-b0f1-4624-8f2d-2502f9b1d3e0
Rogers, Anne
105eeebc-1899-4850-950e-385a51738eb7
Ellis, Jaimie
eb60a3a4-281b-4895-9583-4d5cf1e65b4d
Vassilev, Ivaylo
d76a5531-4ddc-4eb2-909b-a2a1068f05f3
Kennedy, Anne
e059c1c7-d6d0-41c8-95e1-95e5273b07f8
Moore, Michael
a55a274a-b0f1-4624-8f2d-2502f9b1d3e0
Rogers, Anne
105eeebc-1899-4850-950e-385a51738eb7

Ellis, Jaimie, Vassilev, Ivaylo, Kennedy, Anne, Moore, Michael and Rogers, Anne (2019) Help seeking for antibiotics; is the influence of a personal social network relevant? BMC Family Practice, 20, [63]. (doi:10.1186/s12875-019-0955-2).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: health policy focuses on reducing antibiotic prescribing that in order to succeed requires the public to hold similar attitudes towards judicious use. Social network influences on health behaviour and attitudes are well established and yet these influences are not sufficiently acknowledged in the UK’s antibiotic stewardship programmes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate individuals’ attitudes and behaviours towards antibiotics and also identify the social network influences on these in the process of help seeking for self-limiting illnesses.

Methods: from a social network approach the methods used were a personal community mapping exercise which was carried out ahead of a semi-structured interview. A purposive sample was drawn from across the Wessex region and participants were recruited via GP practices and pharmacists. In total 14 adults, and 10 parents of children, who had received a prescription for antibiotics for a self-limiting illness within the three months preceding the interview were recruited and interviewed.

Results: three network types were identified; diverse, family and friend and restricted. The type of network an individual has appears to have an influence on antibiotic attitudes and behaviours. Most notably, the more diverse a network the more likely the individual will delay in help seeking from healthcare professionals as they draw upon self-care strategies advised by network members. The role of the GP varies according to network type too. Individuals’ with diverse networks draw upon GP network members to provide clarity and certainty following a period of self-care. People with restricted networks are more reliant upon the GP, seek help quicker and also more likely to prioritise the GPs advice over other sources of information.

Conclusion: the understanding a social network approach brings to help seeking behaviour for antibiotics could help practitioners modify their consultation approach to mitigate some uncertainties and perceptions around prescribing behaviour.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 30 April 2019
e-pub ahead of print date: 14 May 2019

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 430831
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/430831
ISSN: 1471-2296
PURE UUID: 8750bf2a-ae19-4dd1-bb7c-ac525b7c91d9
ORCID for Jaimie Ellis: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0068-3318
ORCID for Ivaylo Vassilev: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2206-8247
ORCID for Anne Kennedy: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4570-9104

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Date deposited: 15 May 2019 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 04:15

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Contributors

Author: Jaimie Ellis ORCID iD
Author: Ivaylo Vassilev ORCID iD
Author: Anne Kennedy ORCID iD
Author: Michael Moore
Author: Anne Rogers

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