Communicating Antibiotic Stewardship: Emotional Responses and Their Impact on Adherence

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare
• Medical psychology
• Infectious disease management

Background:

• Watchful waiting is recommended to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.
• Nonadherence to watchful waiting advice is a common challenge.
• Understanding caregiver emotions is crucial for effective antibiotic stewardship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine factors shaping pediatric caregivers' emotions during medical consultations.
• To investigate the influence of these emotions on adherence to watchful waiting advice.
• To identify strategies for improving antibiotic stewardship.

Main Methods:

• Study involved 579 pediatric caregivers.
• Employed appraisal theories of emotion.
• Assessed emotional experiences and behavioral intentions regarding antibiotic use.

Main Results:

• Caregivers reported more negative emotions and fewer positive emotions with watchful waiting compared to antibiotic prescriptions.
• False beliefs about antibiotic effectiveness significantly influenced these emotional responses.
• Emotional responses, particularly anger, predicted intentions to nonadhere to watchful waiting advice.

Conclusions:

• Educational interventions to correct false beliefs about antibiotics are necessary.
• Healthcare providers need training in managing caregiver emotions to enhance antibiotic stewardship.
• Addressing caregiver emotions and beliefs is key to improving adherence to antibiotic guidelines.