Examining the Effect of Context, Beliefs, and Values on UK Farm Veterinarians’ Antimicrobial Prescribing: A Randomized Experimental Vignette and Cross-Sectional Survey
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a pressing threat to public and animal health. There is evidence that antimicrobial prescribing and stewardship behaviors by veterinarians (vets) are influenced by non-clinical factors, such as psychological, social, and environmental factors. This study explored th...
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doaj-2ab9f6221baa4f4786aaca4d9d2fb4812021-04-15T23:05:05ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822021-04-011044544510.3390/antibiotics10040445Examining the Effect of Context, Beliefs, and Values on UK Farm Veterinarians’ Antimicrobial Prescribing: A Randomized Experimental Vignette and Cross-Sectional SurveySarah E. Golding0Jane Ogden1Helen M. Higgins2School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Stag Hill Campus, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UKSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Stag Hill Campus, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UKInstitute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Neston, Cheshire CH64 7TE, UKAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a pressing threat to public and animal health. There is evidence that antimicrobial prescribing and stewardship behaviors by veterinarians (vets) are influenced by non-clinical factors, such as psychological, social, and environmental factors. This study explored the role of context, beliefs, and values on vets’ antimicrobial prescribing decisions. UK-based practicing farm vets (<i>n</i> = 97) were recruited to an online study. Using an experimental vignette methodology, vets were randomly assigned across four conditions, to examine the effects of different contexts (pressure on farm economics, the farmer, or the vet-farmer relationship, compared to a control condition) on vets’ likelihood of prescribing antibiotics. Vets’ beliefs about different groups’ responsibility for causing and preventing AMR and vets’ values were also measured. Key findings were that context alone, values, and beliefs about groups’ responsibilities for causing AMR were not predictive of vets’ likelihood of prescribing antibiotics. However, vets’ beliefs about groups’ responsibilities for preventing AMR were predictive of an increased likelihood of prescribing antibiotics, when vets were exposed to the experimental condition of the vignette in which the vet–farmer relationship was under pressure. Farm vets also believed that different groups have different levels of responsibility for causing and preventing AMR. Results should be interpreted cautiously, given the smaller than planned for sample size, and the possibility for both false negatives and false positives. Further research is needed to explore how these findings could inform antimicrobial stewardship interventions in veterinary medicine.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/10/4/445antimicrobial prescribingantimicrobial stewardshipfarm animal medicinebeliefsvaluestreatment decisions |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Sarah E. Golding Jane Ogden Helen M. Higgins |
spellingShingle |
Sarah E. Golding Jane Ogden Helen M. Higgins Examining the Effect of Context, Beliefs, and Values on UK Farm Veterinarians’ Antimicrobial Prescribing: A Randomized Experimental Vignette and Cross-Sectional Survey Antibiotics antimicrobial prescribing antimicrobial stewardship farm animal medicine beliefs values treatment decisions |
author_facet |
Sarah E. Golding Jane Ogden Helen M. Higgins |
author_sort |
Sarah E. Golding |
title |
Examining the Effect of Context, Beliefs, and Values on UK Farm Veterinarians’ Antimicrobial Prescribing: A Randomized Experimental Vignette and Cross-Sectional Survey |
title_short |
Examining the Effect of Context, Beliefs, and Values on UK Farm Veterinarians’ Antimicrobial Prescribing: A Randomized Experimental Vignette and Cross-Sectional Survey |
title_full |
Examining the Effect of Context, Beliefs, and Values on UK Farm Veterinarians’ Antimicrobial Prescribing: A Randomized Experimental Vignette and Cross-Sectional Survey |
title_fullStr |
Examining the Effect of Context, Beliefs, and Values on UK Farm Veterinarians’ Antimicrobial Prescribing: A Randomized Experimental Vignette and Cross-Sectional Survey |
title_full_unstemmed |
Examining the Effect of Context, Beliefs, and Values on UK Farm Veterinarians’ Antimicrobial Prescribing: A Randomized Experimental Vignette and Cross-Sectional Survey |
title_sort |
examining the effect of context, beliefs, and values on uk farm veterinarians’ antimicrobial prescribing: a randomized experimental vignette and cross-sectional survey |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Antibiotics |
issn |
2079-6382 |
publishDate |
2021-04-01 |
description |
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a pressing threat to public and animal health. There is evidence that antimicrobial prescribing and stewardship behaviors by veterinarians (vets) are influenced by non-clinical factors, such as psychological, social, and environmental factors. This study explored the role of context, beliefs, and values on vets’ antimicrobial prescribing decisions. UK-based practicing farm vets (<i>n</i> = 97) were recruited to an online study. Using an experimental vignette methodology, vets were randomly assigned across four conditions, to examine the effects of different contexts (pressure on farm economics, the farmer, or the vet-farmer relationship, compared to a control condition) on vets’ likelihood of prescribing antibiotics. Vets’ beliefs about different groups’ responsibility for causing and preventing AMR and vets’ values were also measured. Key findings were that context alone, values, and beliefs about groups’ responsibilities for causing AMR were not predictive of vets’ likelihood of prescribing antibiotics. However, vets’ beliefs about groups’ responsibilities for preventing AMR were predictive of an increased likelihood of prescribing antibiotics, when vets were exposed to the experimental condition of the vignette in which the vet–farmer relationship was under pressure. Farm vets also believed that different groups have different levels of responsibility for causing and preventing AMR. Results should be interpreted cautiously, given the smaller than planned for sample size, and the possibility for both false negatives and false positives. Further research is needed to explore how these findings could inform antimicrobial stewardship interventions in veterinary medicine. |
topic |
antimicrobial prescribing antimicrobial stewardship farm animal medicine beliefs values treatment decisions |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/10/4/445 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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