ArticleBMJ open2019
Influenza-like illness and antimicrobial prescribing in Australian general practice from 2015 to 2017: a national longitudinal study using the MedicineInsight dataset.
Article in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis (November 2019-June 2021).Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2022Pooled it
- Factors associated with antibiotic prescription among patients with respiratory illness in Thailand: The potential impact of rapid influenza diagnostic testing in antimicrobial stewardship.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2026Article
- Overview of Methods for Assessing Antimicrobial Use in Outpatient Settings in High-Income Countries: A Narrative Review.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Cost-effectiveness of respiratory syncytial virus vaccination strategies for older Canadian adults: A multi-model comparison.Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada · 2025Article
- Respiratory syncytial virus vaccination strategies for older Canadian adults: a cost-utility analysis.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2024Article
- Influenza presentations and use of neuraminidase inhibitors by Australian general practice registrars: a cross-sectional analysis from the ReCEnT study.Family medicine and community health · 2023Article
- General practice management of depression among patients with coronary heart disease in Australia.BMC primary care · 2022Article
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- Risk Factors of Influenza-Associated Respiratory Illnesses Reported to a Sentinel Hospital of Lahore, Pakistan: 2015-2016.The Canadian journal of infectious diseases & medical microbiology = Journal canadien des maladies infectieuses et de la microbiologie medicale · 2021Article
- Influenza-like illness in Australia: A comparison of general practice surveillance system with electronic medical records.Influenza and other respiratory viruses · 2020Article
- Pneumococcal vaccination uptake among patients aged 65 years or over in Australian general practice.Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2020Article
- Impact of funding influenza vaccination on coverage among Australian children: a national study using MedicineInsight, a large general practice database.Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo investigate the epidemiology of influenza-like illness (ILI) by general practice and patient characteristics, and explore whether sociodemographic variables or comorbidities affect antiviral or antibiotic prescribing.
designOpen cohort study.
settingA representative sample of 550 Australian general practices contributing data to the MedicineInsight programme.
participants4 228 149 patients of all age groups who had at least one consultation between 2015 and 2017. Median age was 37 years (Interquartile range: 21-57), 54.4% women, 16.4% aged ≥65 years, 2.2% Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, 17.6% had a chronic disease and 18.1% a mental health condition. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: ILI consultation rates (per 1000 consultations) were calculated using all ILI diagnoses for all clinical encounters with a general practitioner between 2015 and 2017. Antiviral and antibiotic prescribing for ILI cases were investigated and logistic regression models adjusted for practice and patient characteristics used to analyse associations.
resultsILI consultation rates in 2017 were higher than in previous years. Antiviral prescribing increased from 20.6% in 2015, to 23.7 in 2016 and 29.7% in 2017, while antibiotic prescribing decreased from 30.3% to 28.0% and 26.7%, respectively (p<0.05 in both cases). Practices located in high socioeconomic areas had higher ILI consultation rates (4.3 vs 2.5 per 1000 consultations, p<0.05), antibiotic (30.7% vs 23.4%, p<0.05) and antiviral (34.2% vs 13.5%, p<0.05) prescribing than those in lower socioeconomic areas. The coexistence of chronic or mental health conditions was associated with lower ILI consultation rates, higher antibiotic use, but not with antiviral prescribing. However, those with chronic respiratory conditions had a higher frequency of antibiotic and antiviral prescribing in 2017 than individuals with other comorbidities.
conclusionsAlthough the apparent decline in antibiotic prescribing for ILI is welcome, the increase in antiviral use may not be targeting those at high risk of complications from infection.
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