Availability, perceptions, and characteristics of antibiograms among Illinois pediatricians

Despite the enormous volume of antibiotics prescribed by pediatricians, resources to promote judicious antibiotic use are primarily limited to hospitals. The primary objective of this survey was to delineate the availability, characteristics, and perceptions of antibiograms among pediatricians. As a secondary objective, we sought to delineate the availability of other infectious diseases (ID)-related educational resources among pediatricians, the perceived need for additional resources, and their general educational preferences. We developed an anonymous electronic survey using the Research Electronic Data Capture tool, and it was sent via email to all members of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP). Participants were excluded if they had not completed pediatrics residency or if they had not prescribed antibiotics in the past month. Of the 1,825 ICAAP members, 294 (16%) responded; of these, 239 (81%) were eligible and completed the survey. Of the 239 respondents, 139 (58%) had access to an antibiogram and 60 (25%) had access to a pediatric-specific antibiogram. Access to a pediatric-specific antibiogram was associated with subspecialty training (P=0.007) and practice location in Chicago (P<0.0001). Antibiogram access was associated with perceiving being informed about resistance patterns at the national (67% vs 54%, P=0.043) and local (76% vs 45%, P<0.0001) levels. Nearly all (95%) respondents would probably or definitely use a single antibiogram that compiled antibiotic resistance data from children with common infections throughout the region. More than 75% of respondents identified both the American Academy of Pediatrics Red Book and online medical resources among the top three most useful and most frequently accessed educational resources. In addition, 91% of respondents utilized smartphones/tablets. These data suggest that there is an unmet need for additional educational resources to guide antibiotic prescribing among Illinois pediatricians. In addition, an electronic regional antibiogram would be well received and could potentially improve knowledge of antibiotic resistance and empiric antibiotic use.