Geographic Variability in Diagnosis and Antibiotic Prescribing for Acute Respiratory Tract Infections

摘要

IntroductionAntibiotic prescribing rates vary substantially across regions in the USA. Whether these differences are driven primarily by a greater tendency to treat certain infections (i.e., overtreatment) in certain regions or differences in the tendency to diagnose certain infections (i.e., overdiagnosis) is poorly understood.