Improving Antibiotic Prescribing Practices in Mexican Primary Care Clinics

The purpose of this study is to improve antibiotic prescribing practices of Mexican primary care physicians for patients seeking care for acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs). The investigators will employ a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to develop and evaluate a patient education and physician decision-support intervention. Hypothesis 1: The investigators will identify barriers and facilitators of appropriate antibiotic use for ARIs that can be addressed through patient education and physician decision-support. Hypothesis 2: The proportion of patients who report desire for antibiotics as a "very important" reason for seeking care will decrease from 50% to 30% following exposure to the educational intervention; and 90% (95% confidence interval: 80% to 100%) of patients will report that they trust the information provided by the computer. Hypothesis 3: Antibiotic prescribing for adults with uncomplicated acute bronchitis will decrease from 80 percent to 40 percent following the introduction of a real-time clinical decision support tool.

Inclusion Criteria: adults age 18 years or greater Exclusion Criteria: mental disability; severe illness