Research shows doctors are less likely to follow medical guidelines

https://news.mit.edu/2022/physicians-medicine-guidelines-1215

by marc__1 • 4 years ago

41 8 4 years ago

news.mit.edu

d1str0• 4 years ago

Instead, the researchers believe the answer is that doctors possess “superior information about guidelines” for prescription drugs — and then deploy that information for themselves. In the study, the difference in adherence to guidelines between experts and nonexperts is largest in the case of antibiotics: Doctors and their families are 5.2 percentage points less in compliance than everyone else.

After reading the title, this was my first thought.

From my perspective, as a full time software engineer, I imagine I am much less likely to follow PC troubleshooting steps in the same exact order as “prescribed” by an support person, than maybe an average joe who would follow the support guidelines strictly.

skataz• 4 years ago

As the article suggests a little further down, the hypothesis is that they would prescribe broad spectrum antibiotics to themselves and family, as opposed to their patients.

The latter [broad-spectrum antibiotics] might be more likely to eradicate an infection, but greater use of them also increases the chances that bacteria will develop resistance to these valuable medications, which can reduce efficacy for other patients.

n8henrie• 4 years ago

Weird.

Wife and I are physicians, 2 kindergarten aged kids, not sure any of us have had an antibiotic in the last decade. Most of my colleagues feel similarly with their families. Much more likely to give an antibiotic to a patient who doesn't have the medical expertise / patience to watch and wait, and for whom it's much less convenient to get an Rx later if they're getting worse.

Evidence on "completing the full course" seems pretty shaky, both in terms of outcomes and rates of resistance. If anything I would expect physicians to be erring on the "less is more" side of antibiotic Rx.

naijaboiler• 4 years ago

This is correct. When treating the public, you stand a risk of being sued (at least in the US) for not following guidelines, but with yourself and family, you can put your nuanced and superior knowledge to work without worrying about the risk of being sued/ losing your license etc

nitwit005• 4 years ago

I'm actually more curious about the ones they comply with at a higher rate (paper paywalled).

ls15• 4 years ago

https://www.nber.org/papers/w29356

Research shows doctors are less likely to follow medical guidelines

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