What Stops Doctors Switching from Intravenous to Oral Antibiotics?

Aims To explore doctors’ perceptions of the motivators and barriers to complying with intravenous to oral switch antibiotic guidelines in a Model 4 Irish hospital. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out amongst doctors attending hospital-wide educational sessions in November 2018 via a validated paper-based survey post ethical approval. Data were independently analysed using SPSS. Results One hundred and seventy four doctors of all grades and a variety of specialties participated. Respondents felt they were aware of the local intravenous to oral switch criteria but expressed they required prompts to consider switching to oral agents when appropriate, inclusive of alert stickers in the Kardex and medical notes as well as reminders from nursing and pharmacy staff. Other interventions to assist with improved decision-making included further education to junior doctors on the benefits of an intravenous to oral switch, electronic prescribing, and better accessibility to laboratory results. Conclusion Results will assist in implementing quality improvement initiatives to increase the rate of guideline compliance.